The Family Album---A Chicago Fire Story
by mom2jlg
Summary: A series of vignettes showing Kelly and Alyssa's marriage and their family at various milestones. My attempt to bridge the gap between Christmas Presents and When It All Hits Home. Final chapters are up now!
1. Chapter 1

**Family Album**

***Kelly and Alyssa's life together at various milestones***

**Valentine's Day 2015**

Kelly had always hated Valentine's Day. It was a Hallmark Holiday designed to make people who had no one to "celebrate" with feel like they were defective somehow…and to give guys a complex over having to come up with some big, over-the-top, romantic _thing_ that cost at least a week's pay and more often than not, wasn't what his significant other had in mind anyway.

This was the third Valentine's Day he and Alyssa would have together…but in a lot of ways it was also their first. Not just their first as husband and wife…but he didn't have to work…and he had made plans.

Their first Valentine's Day he had been on shift…at least in the beginning. But he had come home in the middle of the day because his arm had been absolutely killing him, to a point where he couldn't function. Alyssa had nursed him through two and a half days of agony…not exactly what one would call a romantic evening/weekend…whatever.

Their second Valentine's Day almost wasn't…he wasn't sure whether they were still a couple or not. He had almost blown the best thing that had ever happened to him. His neck/shoulder injury had gotten so far out of hand that he had resorted to stealing narcotics from Alyssa and from the ambo at work. His mood was so unpredictable…between the pain, the guilt, the secrecy…and occasionally the withdrawal symptoms. He had jumped down Alyssa's throat for something stupid and she had walked out on him. She was gone for two whole days and he had been absolutely terrified that he'd lost her forever. That was over Valentine's Day.

So this year he was going big. This year he was gonna do it right. They had been married almost eight months…and six weeks before on Christmas Eve…they had become parents to twin boys. It had been six weeks of constant…bliss…and exhaustion. And they hadn't had even a few minutes to themselves. Somebody always needed something…a bottle, a diaper change, burping, cleaning up after a burp…

He had gotten a package deal at the Wyndham downtown, and dinner reservations at Rosebud's. There had been a moment of panic when he had all this set up then Shay couldn't babysit. His heart just about stopped when she told him she had big plans that night with a new girl…someone she really liked. He was happy she was moving on after Clarice had ripped her heart out for a second time…and he had moved out to live with Alyssa…but did it have to be that particular night?

Mills had saved the day…or the night, however you wanted to look at it. He had been passing by and overheard the tail end of the conversation and he volunteered himself and Dawson to stay with the twins.

Kelly had jumped on the offer.

It was supposed to be a surprise.

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He was on shift the thirteenth. And at nine or ten o'clock they got a call out to an apartment fire. It turned out to be a big deal…it was a big building…five stories, eight apartments on each floor. The fire had apparently started in a laundry room on one of the lower floors, but it had gotten into the heating ducts and was running rampant through the entire building. Lots of secondary blazes…curtains burning, furniture…what a mess.

Trying to clear the entire building was like going through a maze…like one of those puzzles where you'd get so far then hit a dead end and have to retrace your steps to find the exit you missed. Things were falling all around and Severide had to dive out of the way more than once to avoid being hit. Everybody was hyperaware and every sense you had was on overdrive.

But finally it was over. They'd done all they could and the fire was out. The entire building had sustained heavy damage and lots of people had lost everything they owned…but no one was seriously injured.

As things were winding down though, Kelly started to feel some pain in his left ankle. Just a little nagging pain at first…but getting worse. By the time they were wrapping up to head back to the station he was limping…enough so Chief noticed.

"Severide…what's wrong with your leg?"

Kelly shook his head.

"I don't know…my ankle just started hurting…I don't know what I did."

"Do you want Shay and Dawson to run you over to Lakeshore?" he asked.

Kelly shook his head again.

"No…it's not that bad. I'll ice it when we get back. It's no big deal."

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But it was turning into a big deal.

They got back to the firehouse and he cleaned up and changed…then he hobbled into the common room. He flopped down on the couch and Shay came over to see what was going on with him.

His ankle was swollen up to at least twice its normal size and every time Shay touched it Kelly just about jumped through the ceiling…it was that tender. They iced it, wrapped it…but there was no question…he was done.

"You want someone to run you to the hospital now?" Chief asked.

"No…I'll just go home and Lyssa can take me to the clinic in the morning."

"You need someone to drive you?" Shay asked.

"I can do it…just…can you come after shift and take care of the kids?"

"Of course…" Leslie answered.

He hauled himself up off the couch and slowly…painfully…made his way out to the car. Maybe he should have had someone go with him.

He drove the thirteen blocks to his house and parked in the driveway. He hobbled into the house and somehow managed to climb the stairs to his bedroom.

Lyssa was fast asleep in the center of the bed, hugging his pillow against her.

So that's what she does when I'm not here…he thought. For a moment he was amused…he thought it was adorable…and it was one more little thing that showed him how very much she loved him.

He limped over to the bed and lowered himself to sit on her usual side.

The movement of the bed woke Alyssa. She saw a figure sitting on the bed and for a moment she was frightened.

"It's just me…" Kelly said.

"Kelly? What are you doing home? What happened?"

She couldn't figure out what he was doing home in the middle of the night.

"Twisted my ankle…" he said.

And then he had to bite his lip to keep from crying out in pain as he slid his shoe off his injured foot.

Alyssa was up in a flash. She helped him into bed and went to the linen closet to get some extra pillows. Once she had propped his foot up, she went downstairs and came back with an ice pack.

Then she circled the bed and climbed in on the other side. Kelly held out his arms and Alyssa laid her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around her husband.

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The next morning he woke up alone.

At first he was kind of pissed that Alyssa would just leave him…knowing he'd need her help. But as he became more alert he heard one of the boys…most likely Andy…screaming his little head off.

He glanced at the clock.

Oh yeah…it was breakfast time.

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Down in the kitchen Alyssa had both boys in their carriers on the kitchen table and she was warming the bottles.

Unfortunately Andy didn't grasp the laws of physics just yet and the bottle wasn't coming fast enough.

Just then Jesse, not to be outdone by his brother, put his two cents in.

Kelly managed to hobble down the stairs and across the dining room to the kitchen door.

There was his wife…trying to calm two babies at once while waiting for the bottles to heat under the hot water.

Alyssa heard him behind her and turned to see Kelly standing there. She reached out to him and he took her arm for balance as he crossed the three or four steps from the edge of the counter to the table.

He pulled out one of the kitchen chairs to sit down then angled another so he could prop his foot up. Alyssa reached into one of the carriers and handed Andy over to him. She tested one of the bottles and decided it would have to do. She handed it to Kelly who immediately plugged the nipple into the screaming mouth.

And suddenly all was right…at least in Andy's little world.

Alyssa quickly crossed the kitchen to the freezer where she grabbed a cold pack. She took a few seconds to place it on Kelly's ankle before grabbing the second bottle and getting Jesse his breakfast.

And both parents breathed a sigh of relief as their boys were silenced.

"How are you doin', Baby…" Alyssa asked.

"I really did a number on myself…that's for sure. Leslie's gonna come right after shift so you can take me to Occupational Health."

Alyssa nodded.

"And we can stop at the store after…what would you like for your Valentine's Day dinner?"

Yeah…about that…

"I kinda had a surprise for you…" he said sheepishly.

"What's that?"

"I was planning to kidnap you for the night. I booked us a room at the Wyndham…and got reservations at Rosebud's over on Walton…"

"And what about Thing 1 and Thing 2 here?" she asked.

"Dawson and Mills are gonna babysit."

"Well, don't you think we should cancel it? How are you go downtown tonight?"

"The doctor'll prob'ly put me on crutches anyway…I got a special package deal for Valentine's Day. We'll still have to pay for it even if we don't go."

He pulled the empty bottle away from Andy and put the little boy up against his shoulder. Andy made a noise that sounded like it should come from someone much bigger…

"That's my boy…" Kelly said with a grin.

He looked over at his wife. She wasn't entirely convinced about his plans.

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Shay arrived right after shift and Alyssa and Kelly headed down town to the Occupational Health clinic for all the city's employees with work related injuries and illnesses.

Everybody going on medical furlough or coming off it had to pass through these doors.

And there were a lot of people…they had to wait over an hour.

Finally, they came to take him to x-ray…then Alyssa went with him to an examining room.

She made him as comfortable as possible given the Spartan conditions…carefully propping his foot up on the pillow from the examining table.

A very harried doctor who apparently had perfected his bedside manner in a barn came in to examine Kelly. Even with Alyssa standing right beside him rubbing his back and his shoulders trying to get him to relax...he still gripped the edge of the table till he lost circulation in his hands.

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Once he saw the x-rays the doctor diagnosed what he called an avulsion/fracture. What that meant was Kelly had twisted his ankle so hard that he'd torn a bit of ligament away from the bone…and a chip of bone came with it.

They left the clinic with Kelly wearing a walking boot…and on crutches.

"Honey…" Alyssa said once they were settled in the car. "Are you sure you want to go away tonight?"

"Yeah…I told you…we'll still have to pay for it, even if we cancel."

"I don't care about the money, Kelly."

"Do you not want to go?" he asked.

"I just think you might be more comfortable at home."

She went to start the car…but he reached out to take her hand.

"Lyssa…this is really important to me. We haven't had any time to ourselves since the twins were born."

"That's kind of par for the course…" she said. "That's what happens when you have kids."

"I get that…" he told her. "And I'm not saying I don't love Andy and Jesse…but I don't want us to end up being those kind of people who can't talk about anything except their kids."

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Mills and Dawson arrived prepared to camp out for the night.

Alyssa was distracted though…as she showed Gabby where everything was.

"Hey…" Dawson said to her. "Everything's gonna be okay. Pete and I can handle this…"

"I know…it's not that. I'm worried about Kelly." She said. "You didn't see him at the clinic…but he insists he wants to go through with this…"

Dawson reached out to her friend and hugged her.

"Welcome to loving a firefighter…" she said. "It doesn't get any easier."

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Alyssa drove them downtown…and pulled up to the valet stop at the Wyndham hotel. They got out of the car and the bellman unloaded their suitcases onto a cart. Then Lyssa gently laid her hand on Kelly's back and they made their way into the front lobby.

He hobbled over to the front desk.

"Hi…we have a reservation…under Severide."

The desk clerk punched a few keys on the computer.

"Here we are…room 619. The Valentine's Day Special. Did you need help with your bags?"

"Yeah…please." Kelly said.

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A bellman took them to their room…and opened the door.

It was way nicer than either of them expected.

There was a king-size bed…and a bottle of champagne chilling in a silver ice bucket. There was a box of chocolate covered strawberries from Godiva…and a dozen long-stem roses in a crystal vase on the dresser.

The bellman set their bags inside and hung their hanging bag in the closet. Kelly tipped him, and then closed the door behind him.

He hobbled back into the room…and wasn't surprised in the least that Alyssa had already cracked into the chocolate covered strawberries. She smiled as she took a bite of one…then held the other half up for him.

Sweets swallowed down, he reached out for her. She stepped closer to him so it wasn't so much of a reach…and slid her arms around his neck. He drew her closer until she was flush up against him and leaned down to capture her lips in a deep, passionate, all consuming kiss.

But eventually they had to part for some much needed oxygen.

As he caught his breath, Kelly couldn't help but think air was somewhat over-rated. He'd die a happy man if he could go kissing his wife.

He took a step back from Alyssa and laid one of the crutches aside. Then he took her hand and awkwardly led her over to the bed.

He sat down on the edge and shoved the other crutch aside. Then he brought Alyssa to stand directly in front of him. He slipped his hands inside her loose cardigan sweater to span her tiny waist.

You'd never know she'd just given birth to twins…she was still as petite as ever…maybe even more so, because she never had a moment to sit down anymore.

Well, he intended to make sure she sat down…and more.

She slid his leather jacket off his broad shoulders…and he brought her in even closer. He began to undo the buttons on her blouse one by one…then reached up to push the whole thing off, blouse…sweater and all.

He caught his breath as his wife stood before him naked to the waist save the red satin bra with the soft black lace trim. He'd never seen that one before…and he smiled when he realized he wasn't the only one anticipating a happy Valentine's Day.

Alyssa tugged his shirt up in the back, and he pulled it over his head in one quick motion.

Then her hands were on his bare skin…softly rubbing his chest and shoulders…and making him tingle with anticipation.

He hurried to undo her jeans and slide them down her shapely legs…and he took a moment to appreciate the panties that matched the red and black bra.

He changed positions on the bed and easily brought Alyssa with him. He turned her gently onto her back and slid her bra straps off her shoulders…all the while trailing kisses down the side of her neck and across her shoulder. And he left a few little marks…

Alyssa left a few of her own as her fingernails raked lightly over his back…and Kelly thought he'd burst out of his jeans.

That created something of a problem. He still had the boot on his foot…and he's have to take that off in order to lose his pants. And things were moving too fast to put the brakes on now.

But Lyssa solved that problem for him.

Her tiny hands made quick work of the button and the zipper and he got a moment to breathe once he was free of the confining garment. But only a moment…as Alyssa slid her hands inside his boxers.

She pushed his jeans and his shorts down…then turned him onto his back. Kelly thought he'd come right then and there as his wife straddled him…the satin and silky lace of her panties rubbing against his most sensitive parts.

He had to have her…and he pulled the panties off of her. Then there was nothing to stop them…nothing to get in the way. Alyssa leaned over him to kiss that special place along his collar bone that drove him absolutely wild. She was so soft and warm against him…and he couldn't wait another second.

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By the time they cabbed over to Rosebud's he was starving.

As the maitre'd led them to a corner table he thought again how beautiful Alyssa looked in her little black dress.

They settled in…and their waiter brought over a wine list.

Kelly didn't know anything about choosing a wine…other than red went with beef and white went with chicken…so he let the waiter recommend something. And after they had gone through the customary opening the bottle and him tasting it…for all the good that did…fermented grapes were fermented grapes…they were finally alone.

He reached across the table and took Alyssa's hand in his.

"Are you glad we did this?" he asked.

Alyssa smiled at him…and he felt his heart melt.

"I am…you were right, Kelly. We need this."

"Now there's something you don't hear too often…" he told her with a wicked grin. "That _I_ was right…"

She smiled back, with a gleam in her eye.

"Well, don't get used to it, Severide…"

They both laughed and he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently.

Then he picked up his wine glass and raised it slightly in toast.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Mrs. Severide…"

9


	2. Chapter 2

**Easter 2015—Bunny Ears and Big Appetites**

Alyssa had the twins lying in the middle of the bed…trying to get them ready to go.

It was Easter Sunday…and they were having dinner at Mills' family's restaurant…with their family from Station 51.

Kelly came from the bathroom and pulled clean shorts and socks from the dresser drawer before he made his way over to the bed. He leaned on the foot board as he hobbled around to Alyssa's side.

He sat down on the edge and looked over at his wife…trying to wrestle Andy into his little jeans. And he smiled.

Sometimes he still couldn't believe he was a _dad_…but there were two little boys that looked exactly like pictures of himself as a baby.

He suspected Andy was exactly like him…and he wished his mom was around to ask. Andy was always _going_…from the moment he woke up, till he passed out from sheer exhaustion. He was always moving…even now, as he lay on the bed, he was flapping his hands and kicking his little feet for all he was worth.

Jesse was almost the polar opposite. He was the most easy going, laid back kid Kelly had ever seen…not that he had a ton of experience around babies. Jesse just laid there…taking everything in.

Lyssa finally got Andy into his jeans, and slid the little red and white striped polo shirt over his head.

"There." She said with a sigh. "You're done."

Kelly laughed.

And Alyssa took a minute to kiss her husband.

"You okay, Babe?" she asked.

"Yeah…" he said. "I'm gonna need you to help me with the brace, though."

He was still on medical furlough for the ankle injury he'd had on Valentine's Day. But the good news was he was finally out of the boot…and graduated to a supportive brace. Now he was going to PT five times a week. It was slow…but hopefully he'd be able to get back to work soon.

"Sure…"she told him as she slipped her arms around his neck.

He pulled her closer to him. He loved to feel her pressed up against him.

She kissed him again.

"Let me just finish with Thing 1 and Thing 2 here…"

Andy had wiggled around so much that his clothes were all twisted…so Alyssa had to straighten him out.

"Give him here…" Kelly said.

Alyssa handed him his son, before she moved over to Jesse.

"Hey Buddy…" Kelly said to the little boy. "Where's the fire?"

He held Andy away from him…and it looked like the little boy was running in place. Then he put him up on his shoulder.

"Easy, Little Guy…just cool your engines." He said as he rubbed Andy's back. "It's okay…take a little rest."

Alyssa got Jesse into his little jeans and his navy blue and white striped polo. Then the baby folded his little hands across his chest and crossed his little ankles…waiting patiently.

"Kelly…look." She said.

Kelly took one look at Jesse and chuckled. He just shook his head.

Lyssa moved Jesse up on the bed so he was sitting propped up against the pillows.

"You want me to get clothes for you, Baby?"

"Please…"

"Anything in particular?" she asked.

"No…you pick. Your taste's better than mine anyway." He said.

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They pulled up in front of the restaurant…and Kelly slowly got out of the driver's seat. It was tough to get going after he'd been sitting awhile.

He shifted his weight carefully and he caught Lyssa watching him with a worried expression.

"I'm fine, Baby…" he told her. "It's just stiff…"

"Maybe five days a week at PT is too much…" she said.

"It's fine…" he assured her.

He opened the back door of the car and grabbed Andy in his carrier.

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As soon as they walked in the door everyone pounced on the twins.

Casey lifted Andy out of his carrier and held the little boy up over his head…and Andy laughed.

"Look what Aunt Leslie's got for you…"

Kelly turned around when he heard to sing-songy voice…just in time to see Shay going toward his son with a pair of fuzzy pink rabbit ears.

"Uh-uh! No way!" he said. "Get those things _away_ from my son."

"But they're so cute!" Shay protested.

"Not a chance…"

"But he's a _baby_!"

"He's a _boy_!" Kelly said.

Leslie turned to Alyssa…looking for a decision.

But Alyssa held up her hands. She wasn't about to get in the middle of this…

"His father obviously has very strong opinions on this…" she said.

"Thank-you…" Kelly nodded with satisfaction.

Shay crossed her arms over her chest in defeat.

Kelly took a couple steps closer to her and grabbed the ears out of her hand.

"Here…" he said as he stuck them on her head. "Adorable."

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Alyssa went to the kitchen to help Mills, Dawson, Ingrid and Mills' sister Elise.

They had a huge crowd…in addition to the entire crew from the firehouse, four of Alyssa's five brothers were there with their families as well…and Alyssa's brother Nick had brought his in laws. His father- in –law was a retired Battalion chief and he and Boden were over at the counter having a drink and telling old war stories. Hermann and Mouch were listening as well …and laughing.

Hermann's younger kids were playing with Alyssa's nephews Declan and Aiden…and his oldest son was playing some game on the tablet with Alyssa's fourteen year old niece, Michelle.

And Kelly sat in a booth with Casey and Shay feeding Andy and Jesse their bottles.

Jesse fell asleep mid-way through, and Shay cuddled the little boy to her.

Andy, on the other hand, pounded down his six ounces like it was nothing.

When they were ready to serve dinner Alyssa made her way over to Kelly. Shay took Jesse, still sleeping and laid him in his carrier set on an overturned high chair.

Lyssa reached over and took Andy from Kelly as he slid to the edge of the bench and braced himself to stand.

She could see the anticipation in his eyes…and she handed Andy to Matt.

"Matt? Can you put him in his seat?"

Casey took the baby from her.

"No problem…" he said as he headed toward the table. "C'mon Andy…let's go get some ham…and turkey…and…"

Alyssa turned to her husband, and reached out to help him as he pulled himself to his feet. She stepped close to him and he gratefully put his arm around her shoulders to lean on her for support.

"It's okay, Baby…" she whispered to him when she heard him catch his breath as he shifted his weight onto his injured ankle.

"I know…" he told her softly. "It's just sore…"

And they made their way to the long table spread down the middle of the restaurant.

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It took a while…but the food was passed around and everyone had a full plate.

Well, almost everyone.

Andy was sitting in his carrier between Matt and Kelly…and he was watching everything.

Casey went to take a bite of turkey…and he heard a loud squawk.

He turned to Andy.

"Did you want something?" he asked the little boy.

"Whatever's on your fork…" Kelly quipped.

Casey shot Kelly a look…

"But you just finished your milk. I saw you." He said to Andy.

Kelly scoffed.

"Wait a minute…" Leslie cut in. "I thought babies weren't supposed to eat table food for at least a year."

Kelly just chuckled…

"Yeah…I don't think Andy got that memo."

"So what would you suggest here…_Dad_?" Casey said to him.

"Feed him…"

So Casey took a saucer and put a dab of mashed potatoes, a dab of yams, and a dollop of jello on it and fed it to Andy on the tip of a spoon.

And Andy was happy…except when Matt tried to take a bit of his own food…then he complained _loudly_ because _his_ supply was momentarily cut off.

Everyone laughed as Casey put his fork down yet again.

"You want me to put that in the warmer for you, Lieutenant?" Mills asked.

"That'd be nice, Mills…"

"Yeah…that's my boy." Kelly said, shaking his head. "Barely three months old and he's already eatin' like a fireman…"

"Just wait till he's a teenager." Casey said.

"Just wait till he gets _teeth_…" Kelly shot back.

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That night he and Alyssa stood in the doorway of the twins' bedroom…just savoring the silence as the two babies slept.

Kelly slipped his arms around his wife and held her against his chest. She sighed contentedly.

"Whatcha thinkin', Lyssa?" he asked.

"I was just wondering…how do you feel about having them baptized?"


	3. Chapter 3

**May 2015—Andy and Jesse's Baptism**

Kelly came down to the kitchen.

Today was his first day back at work after a two and a half month medical furlough for a sprained ankle.

In some ways he was chomping at the bit to get going…in others…

Alyssa was making the boys cereal…and she'd set a steaming mug of coffee on the counter for him.

He took a sip, then set it back down and crossed the kitchen to where his wife was taking a jar of baby food out of the cupboard. He took the bananas out of her hand and set them on the counter…then brought Alyssa close to him and kissed her.

"Morning…" he said.

"Morning…" she sighed.

She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest…just listening to his heart beat. And he tangled his fingers in her long, brown hair.

"I'm gonna miss you…"she said.

"I figured you'd be about ready to get rid of me." He teased.

"Hardly…now I have to switch from 'man to man' to a 'zone' defense."

He laughed.

"So good to know I'm needed…"

"Always." She told him. "You want some breakfast before you go?"

"No…I'll grab something at the firehouse."

"I wanted to ask you something…" Lyssa said hesitantly.

"What's that, Babe?"

"Do you think we should invite Heather Darden and her boys for Saturday?"

They were having Andy and Jesse baptized on Saturday at the church in the neighborhood.

Kelly swallowed hard. He hadn't seen or spoken to Heather since Christmas Day…when he stopped by to tell her that he was a father…and one of his sons was named Andy.

Heather still blamed him on some level for her husband's death almost three years ago. She said that Andy had always followed Kelly around and he just wanted to please his friend. _That's_ why he became a firefighter. It was Kelly's dream…not Andy's. At least that's what she had told him.

It was only right that they at least invite her and the boys. It was up to her whether or not to come.

"I'll take care of it…after shift."

He glanced at the clock. He had to go or he'd be late.

He kissed Alyssa again. Then he went to kiss the boys…sitting in their carriers on the table.

Kelly leaned down and kissed Andy's head…then Jesse's.

"Bye, guys…Daddy's gotta go to work. Take it easy on Mommy…okay? Don't give her too much trouble."

Alyssa chuckled softly.

"I'm sure that'll do the trick…" she said with a wry grin.

He kissed her one last time.

"I'm sure…" he said with a smile. "I gotta go…I'll miss you…"

"Go on, Severide…you can't be late on your first day back."

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Kelly walked into the firehouse…and the entire team was waiting for him. They all burst into applause, whistles and cat calls.

"Welcome back, Lieutenant!"

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After a fairly uneventful shift, Kelly walked up Heather Darden's front walk.

He used to hang out here all the time…watching a game…playing cards…or just shootin' the bull. Now it was like a different place. A place he didn't belong.

He rang the bell.

Heather opened her front door and saw Kelly standing there.

"Kelly…what are you doing here?"

She wasn't quite as cold as she had been at Christmas…but it was by no means a warm reception.

"Hey, Heather…how you doin'?"

She shrugged.

"Okay."

"And how're the boys doin'?"

"They're fine. What do you want Kelly?" she asked brusquely.

So much for pleasant conversation.

"Me and Alyssa are having the twins baptized on Saturday. At St. Pasqual's…and we'd like it if you and the boys could be there." He said.

A pained expression crossed Heather's face.

"Kelly…"

"Just think about it." He said, as he handed her a folded piece of paper. "Here's the address and the time and everything. And afterwards we're having everybody back to our house."

He turned to go.

"Kelly?" Heather called.

He turned back.

"I'll think about it." She said.

"That's all I'm asking." He replied.

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Kelly walked in his back door.

Alyssa was in the kitchen, and she jumped up to hug him.

He leaned down and kissed her…like he hadn't seen her in over twenty-four hours.

And then he just held her tight and tangled his fingers in her long brown hair.

"God, I missed you." He said.

"I'll have to get used to sleeping alone again…" she told him.

"My rack at the firehouse was pretty lonely too…"

He suddenly noticed the silence.

"Where're the kids?"

"Nap time…we've got at least two…three hours to kill."

A huge smile crept across his face.

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Alyssa silently traced gentle circles over his bare chest…

He loved the feel of skin on skin and he pulled her over closer to him and slid his hands up and down her naked body.

"Did I mention I missed you?" he said.

"Perhaps…I really don't remember." She replied. "I was kind of distracted for a while.."

He laughed softly.

"How was it, Honey?" she asked him. "Was everything okay?"

"I'm fine…" he told her.

She worried too much sometimes…but that was part of being married to a firefighter.

"It was pretty quiet." He said. "I kept looking at my watch…and thinking 'It's lunch time' or 'it's bath time'…"

Alyssa traced her finger lightly down the side of his face.

"Then after shift I went over to Heather's…"

"And how did that go?"

He shrugged.

"Ball's in her court." He said. "I just can't help wonder what Andy thinks about all this."

"You said he loved being a firefighter as much as you do." Alyssa said.

Kelly nodded.

His wife always knew the right thing to say.

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Before they knew it, it was Saturday.

The whole team gathered in the sanctuary at St. Pasqual's…the church about three blocks west of Kelly and Alyssa's house.

Her whole family was there…even her brother Jimmy and his stuck-up wife Roxanne drove in from Glencoe. And Kelly had invited his Aunt Kathy…and her two sons, Josh and Blake, and their wives and kids.

He liked the idea that Andy and Jesse had cousins. He remembered how close he had been to_ his_ cousins growing up…but he had pulled back after his mom passed away about twelve years ago. Now that he was married and had kids of his own he felt the need to reconnect with them.

And their neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Garibaldi were there.

Both Kelly and Alyssa were truly touched that they made the effort. It was so hard for them to get out. But they both adored the twins. They looked forward to the days Alyssa brought the boys over for them to babysit when she took Kelly to rehab for his ankle.

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Alyssa dressed Andy in his white satin outfit…and Leslie dressed Jesse. They were almost ready to begin…and Alyssa had wanted those outfits as white as possible.

Everyone took their seats…and Kelly and Alyssa and Casey and Shay as Andy and Jesse's godparents stepped up to the baptismal font.

As the priest began…in the name of the Father…and of the Son…and of the Holy Spirit…Kelly saw movement in the back of the church. He cast a glance to see Heather Darden and her sons slip into the last row.


	4. Chapter 4

**Labor Day Weekend 2015—the Department BBQ-1. Crawl...Check!**

Kelly pushed the double stroller across the grass in the park.

"All I'm saying…is it's ridiculous. I'm a firefighter…I can get out the door in full gear in less than ninety seconds. It shouldn't take two hours to get out of the house!"

"Packing for two babies takes a little longer than ninety seconds…I'm sorry." Alyssa argued.

"And that's another thing. Why do we need to pack like we're goin' on a damn safari or whatever? Do we seriously need to haul all this crap everywhere we go?" he went on.

Alyssa sighed.

"Yes, Kelly…we seriously do. We have two _babies_. Just grabbin' a cooler full of beer on your way out the door's not gonna cut it anymore."

Kelly was tired of arguing. They'd been going round and round since they got in the car.

"Maybe not…but at least they'd sleep good." He said with a grin.

Alyssa just rolled her eyes heavenward.

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They spotted their crew at a group of tables under a couple big, shady trees.

"There you are." Casey said. "We were beginning to wonder about you."

"Who knew it'd take two hours to get out of the house? We got enough stuff here to go on a world tour."

Alyssa shot him a look. So much for not arguing…

"Andy decided to try and feed himself right when we were about to leave. I had to clean him up and start from scratch."

Casey bent down to look Andy in the eye.

"Were you eating _again_?" he said to the little boy.

"Is he _awake_?" Kelly asked.

Otis passed the stroller on his way back from a beer run.

"With all he eats…you'd think he'd be a lot bigger." He said.

Alyssa shrugged.

"The doctor said he's just got a high metabolism…"

Casey turned to Jesse…

"You better start eating more…" he said as he tickled Jesse's little tummy. "Before your brother gets it all."

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While this was going on Kelly reached under the stroller and pulled out a blanket. He took it over and spread it in the shade beneath the trees.

Alyssa grabbed the sunscreen and started spraying it on the twins.

Leslie came over to help her.

She unbuckled Jesse from the stroller and held him up.

"These little t-shirts are so cute!"

Both boys had on little onsies…Andy's was white, Jesse's was navy blue. And one the front they said 1. Crawl, 2. Walk, 3. …and there was a picture of a fire helmet and an axe.

The ladies set the boys on the blanket and spread out some toys for them. And Kelly went off to find the beer.

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He was just reaching into the cooler when he heard his name.

"Kelly!"

He looked up and say Nikki Rutkowski skipping toward him. The girl kept turning up…like a bad penny.

"Nikki…"

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him…from which he extracted himself as quickly as possible.

"I haven't seen you in forever! What're you doin'?" she said.

He shrugged.

"You know…same ol', same ol'. You?"

"I'm here with my new boyfriend. He's on Engine 17." She linked her fingers behind her back and stuck her enhanced boobs out…and turned back and forth in what he assumed was supposed to be a teasing manner. "Are you still with your girlfriend? The one from the hospital?"

Kelly held up his left hand.

"I married her. We've got twin boys." He said.

Nikki's mouth dropped open from the shock of this news.

"So I guess you wouldn't want to get a drink sometime? Catch up?" she said.

Kelly rolled his eyes incredulously.

This girl was absolutely unbelievable.

"Prob'ly not a good idea…no." he said.

Nikki lowered her eyelids seductively.

"Married doesn't mean 'dead' you know." She purred.

"No…it doesn't." Kelly agreed. "But it does mean that I'm not about to risk losing my family for a quickie in the equipment room."

He turned around and headed back to Alyssa and the team. On his way he passed a guy who looked vaguely familiar headed toward the beer.

He's gotta be the boyfriend from 17…Kelly thought to himself. Good luck, man…you're gonna need it…

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He set his beer down and unfolded a chair for himself.

"Hey Lieutenant?" Cruz called out. "Why are the boys playin' with cop cars?"

Kelly looked over to his sons. They were both teething on little rubber police cars.

"My brother-in-law got 'em. Guess he felt like he had to represent."

He went over to the blanket and squatted down to the boys' level.

"Hey, Andy…" he said. "What do we think about the CPD?"

Andy made a big 'raspberry' and threw the police car. Jesse copied his brother.

Everybody laughed, and Kelly smiled.

"That's my boys!"

Andy clapped his chubby little hands together and laughed…so hard that he fell over.

That only made everybody laugh harder.

"He looks like a turtle on its back…" Otis said.

And Kelly reached out to set his son upright again.

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The team spent a lazy Saturday afternoon…laughing and joking and busting each other's balls over one thing or another.

Then Dawson looked up.

"What are they doing?" she asked as she stared at Andy and Jesse.

Kelly looked over at the twins. Both boys were up on their hands and knees, rocking back and forth.

"They been doin' that for about a week or so. It's like they're revving the engines…they just don't ever go anywhere.

A little while later…

"Hey, Kelly…I thought you said they never went anywhere."

Kelly shook his head.

"Nope…"

Dawson chuckled.

"Well, don't look now…but I think they're makin' a break for it."

Kelly spun around so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash…and saw that Andy and Jesse had already crawled about twenty or thirty feet off their blanket and were heading toward the parking lot.

"Oh…shit!"

He jumped up and ran after Andy.

"Hey! Casey!" he called. "A little help here?"

Casey laughed to himself as he jogged over and scooped up Jesse, who wasn't making quite as much progress as his brother.

He held the little boy up so they were looking eye to eye.

"And just where do you think you're goin', Mister?" he asked.

Jesse looked at him with such a thoughtful expression…it was easy to imagine that he understood what Matt was asking him. Then he looked over toward the parking lot…then back to Casey…then back to the parking lot again.

Casey shifted his grip on the baby and turned around to see what was in the parking lot.

He stated to laugh.

Meanwhile, Kelly had caught up to Andy…who was chugging along like a man on a mission. He grabbed his son and scooped him up into his arms. Right away, Andy started to squirm and fight him. Then he opened up his mouth and hollered.

"What? What are you getting' so upset about?"

Casey came up to him with Jesse.

"They want to see the trucks." He said.

Severide stared at Casey like he was speaking another language.

"Really? How do you figure that?" he asked.

"Jesse told me."

"Oh…Jesse told you? What are you, the 'baby whisperer'?"

Andy was still screaming at the injustice of having his escape thwarted.

"Put him down…trust me on this." Casey said.

Kelly gave his friend a look that let him know that he thought Matt had lost it…but he put Andy down on the ground again.

And the little boy immediately began crawling toward the parking lot again.

"Well, I'll be damned…" Kelly said…then he laughed.

He caught up to his son and scooped the baby up again…and this time the two men headed toward the parking lot…where there was a little show of antique fire trucks.

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They headed back to their tables…and Kelly hit Matt's arm to get his attention.

"Hey…can we keep the Great Escape just between us? If Lyssa thinks I wasn't watching the boys…"

"You'll be back on the DL." Casey said.

Kelly chuckled.

"At the very least…"

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Kelly took Andy back to their group…and Casey took Jesse to go get a cookie.

He stood in line and he was talking to the baby…

"So what kind of cookie do you want? Sugar? I think that's a good idea. Chocolate chip can get kind of messy…and we have to get one for your brother too."

He was still carrying on his one sided conversation when someone came up to him.

"Yes, I know…but we need to share. It wouldn't be nice to eat all the cookies over here and not take one to your brother."

"Matt?"

Casey turned around.

"Heather!"

The two hugged awkwardly.

"It's good to see you." He said.

He had seen her at the twins' baptism…but she had slipped in at the last minute and run out as soon as the ceremony was over. She hadn't stayed to talk to anyone.

"Yeah…" she said hesitantly. "It that…"

"This is Jesse. Kelly's got Andy with him."

"Oh."

She sounded disappointed.

"You wanna go see him? Say hello to everybody?" he asked.

She looked unsure.

"C'mon…" he said.

Heather followed him over to the tables where Station 51 had taken up residence.

"Hey…look who we found." Casey said as he approached the group.

Shay and Hermann both greeted Heather warmly.

Heather approached Kelly cautiously.

She didn't know what to say.

"Hey, Heather…" he said.

She barely heard him…she couldn't take her eyes off the little boy in his arms…so cute…with those big blue eyes that melted her heart.

"You wanna hold him?" Kelly asked.

"Can I?" Heather whispered.

"Sure…" he told her as he handed the baby to her. "Hey, Andy…go say 'hi' to Heather…"

She was surprised that he went to her so readily…but he was a friendly little guy with a big toothless grin.

"Hi, Andy…" she whispered.

Alyssa came up beside Kelly and he put his arm around his wife. And he watched as Heather cuddled the little boy who had her husband's name.


	5. Chapter 5

**October 2015-First Word and First Halloween**

Casey had just run out to grab something out of his truck when he heard his name being called.

"Hey, Matt…" Alyssa said as she wheeled the double stroller up to the firehouse.

"Lyssa! What are you doing here? Everything okay?"

"Yeah…there's just something I've gotta show Kelly."

"Well, come on in then…"

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He led the way into the common room, holding the door wide open so Alyssa could maneuver the double wide through the door.

"Hey, guys…look who I found out front."

Kelly got to his feet and quickly crossed the room to hug and kiss his wife.

"What are you doin' here?" he asked. "Everything okay at home?"

She looked really tired and a bit frazzled.

"I thought you were supposed to be able to drop kids off at the local firehouse…no questions asked." She quipped.

"What's the problem?"

"Well…Thing 1 started about two minutes after your car pulled out of the drive…then maybe an hour ago, Thing 2 got in on the act…"

She reached down and unbuckled Andy from the stroller and hauled him into her arms. She gave him a little kiss on his head before handing him off to his father.

Kelly took his son in his arms.

"Hey, Buddy…are you makin' Mommy crazy? Didn't we talk about that before I left this morning?"

Andy just stared at Kelly.

"Go on, Andy…" Alyssa said with a sigh. "You been saying it all day, don't be shy now."

"Were you talking?" Kelly asked Andy.

And Andy smiled a huge smile…showing off his two new teeth. He put his chubby little hands on either side of Kelly's face…

"Da-da!" he said…just as clear as a bell.

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There was a collective gasp of surprise from everyone crowded around the family.

"Did he just say what I think he said?" Kelly asked in complete shock.

Did his son just say 'Da-da'?

"Da-da!" Andy said again…very pleased with himself.

Kelly got a little misty eyed as he hugged his son to him.

His son said 'Da-da'…

Alyssa had Jesse out of the stroller…and he was squirming to get to Kelly.

"Da-da." Jesse said…not quite as clearly as Andy…but there was no mistaking. He knew what he was saying…and he knew who he was saying it to.

Severide shifted Andy into one arm and reached out to take Jesse with the other.

Both his boys had said their first word.

"Da-da!" Andy said happily…

And Jesse repeated it about a beat behind.

"Da-da."

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A few weeks later the boys visited the firehouse again.

This time it was to show off their Halloween costumes.

Alyssa had taken care of everything…and she had flat out refused to tell Kelly what she was planning.

So on Halloween afternoon while Chief Boden was setting up his candy out front, Alyssa pulled up in her SUV. She backed it up to the door…and popped open the tailgate.

A couple of the guys…Mills, Cruz, and Hadley were shooting baskets and they came over to see what she'd brought.

And Kelly came out to see what was going on…he had kind of expected Lyssa to bring the boys…and he smiled when he saw the car.

He grabbed his wife around the waist and pulled her into his arms.

"I was wonderin' if I was gonna see you today." He said with a grin.

"Did you really think I'd let you miss our kids first Halloween?"

He laughed. He knew she wouldn't. She made sure he got to experience every milestone with the boys…whether he was on shift or not.

He let go of Alyssa and opened the back door to grab Andy from his car seat.

And he stopped in his tracks when he saw the boys sitting there in their costumes.

He should have known.

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They both had little black one-piece suits that looked kind of like their footie pj's…but these were done up to look like turnouts. Alyssa had even sewn little patches that said "Rescue Squad" on the sleeves, just like his. And God only knew how she did it…but she had managed to find little crib shoes that looked like fireman's boots.

And of course there were little helmets…and Lyssa had fashioned a shield for the front with a 3 on it.

Kelly laughed out loud as he unbuckled Andy and picked him up. Alyssa had gone around to the other side to get Jesse and as she lifted him out of the car, Kelly saw 'Severide' across the small of the back on Jesse's costume. He turned Andy around and saw the same thing.

Alyssa had pretty much copied his gear exactly and shrunk it down.

Everyone crowded around to see what the boys were dressed like. And everyone thought it was perfect.

"Good God…they cloned Severide…twice." Hermann groaned. "We're in trouble now."

"No offense, Lieutenant…but do we really need two more of you running around here?" Cruz added.

"We could always get 'em little knee pads and let 'em buff the floors…" Mouch pointed out.

"We'll do nothing of the kind…"

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The men turned to look over their shoulders.

Casey came out to see his godsons.

He reached out and took Jesse from Alyssa and tossed him into the air, making the little boy squeal with laughter.

"C'mon…" Casey said. "Let's go check out the candy."

"You guys can handle that." Alyssa said. "We'll just get the car unloaded."

"What do we got?" Mills asked.

"Just cookies and hot mulled cider…" she replied.

Mills, Hermann, Cruz and Otis were practically tripping over one another to get to the goodies in the trunk space…

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Kelly laughed as he and Casey carried the babies down to the table Chief had set up.

It was always the same story…every time Alyssa showed up at the house she brought something to eat. And every time she did the guys pounced on whatever she brought like they hadn't eaten in a week.

Fortunately…or unfortunately, depending on how you looked at it, none of Hermann's dire predictions about the state of Kelly's marital bliss (post babies) had come to fruition. Fortunately, because Alyssa was a phenomenal cook…and Kelly ate like a king on a regular basis. Unfortunately, he still had to work out like a professional athlete so he didn't end up weighing three hundred pounds.

And fortunately the other thing Hermann told him was going to happen never did. That was one form of exercise he looked forward to.

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"Hey, Chief…" Severide said. "Is it just me, or are these Candidates gettin' younger and younger?"

He sat Andy down on the table next to a bowl of candy.

BIG mistake…

Andy reached in and grabbed TWO fistfuls and tried to shove them into his mouth, wrappers and all.

"Andy!" Kelly scolded as he tried to pry the candy from his son's chubby little hands. "One piece!"

But Andy wasn't having it…

The very first group of trick-or-treaters came skipping up to the table.

"Trick-or-treat!" said a Princess…a kitty cat…a butterfly…and a lady bug.

The four little girls held out their bags…and Jesse reached into the bowl, picked out a piece of candy, and held it out to the little Princess.

Boden laughed out loud.

"Hey, Severide…your boy's taking my job away."

Everybody laughed as they got ready for the next group of trick-or-treaters.


	6. Chapter 6

**December 2015-First Birthday and First Christmas**

Kelly lay on his bed and groaned as Alyssa worked on a particularly sore spot on his back.

It was the day after Thanksgiving…and he had spent the entire day going up and down.

Up and down the basement stairs hauling the Christmas tree and all the decorations out…up and down the ladder outside hanging lights on the front of the house.

He loved this time of the year…especially now that he had his family to celebrate with. Before, he had never really bothered. He had always enjoyed Thanksgiving…assuming he wasn't on shift…and spending the day stuffing his face and watching football, the way God had intended. But Christmas…sure it was nice and he liked watching "It's A Wonderful Life" and opening presents when he got them…

Then he met Alyssa…and it took on a whole new meaning. He went out and bought a tree and lights…and ornaments…and they listened to Christmas carols on the radio while they set everything up.

Alyssa had a way of making each little thing into something special…even the ornaments on their tree. In just the three Christmases he'd been with her he had a nice little collection of fire trucks and firefighter ornaments hanging…and she had started giving him die cast models of different fire engines as one of his gifts. They were all on display in the basement on shelves over the bar in his "man cave".

Last year had been kind of a blur…what with the twins arriving three weeks early. But honestly…what better Christmas present could he get? He had two beautiful, healthy, happy boys and every day they did something new to make him smile.

He had never thought his life would turn out the way it had. But whatever he had done to deserve a wife like Alyssa and two great kids…he was eternally grateful.

"That feels so good, Lyssa." He said as she worked all the kinks out of his back and his shoulders.

He could picture the smile on her face as she gently massaged his right shoulder. Even though it hadn't bothered him in years…not since the surgery on his C5 vertebra …she still always took extra time and extra care with it when she gave him a back rub. Old habits die hard…he guessed.

Kelly turned over onto his back and pulled Alyssa to him. He brought her up on top of him and kissed her deeply. She responded with equal fervor…and he smiled.

"Correct me if I'm wrong…but we have some unfinished business from earlier…don't we Mrs. Severide…something you promised me in the shower…"

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"Maybe it's time to start thinking about a brother or sister for Andy and Jesse…" Kelly said to Alyssa as they lay in the dark…

"Maybe…once we get two out of diapers…and you make Captain…" Alyssa replied.

He chuckled softly.

He couldn't picture himself a Captain…

But the pay bump would be nice.

"Do you ever think about having another one?" he asked.

"I don't really have a lot of time to think these days, Baby…" she said. "Andy's gonna start walking any minute…and Jesse's not far behind…and their birthday's coming…that's kind of a big deal in an Italian family."

"I just can't believe it's been a whole year."

"Me neither…but then again…when you're on shift and it's just the three of us here…that feels like a whole year right there sometimes."

"We could move out to the 'burbs…and I could work eight hour shifts." He offered half-heartedly.

"Bite your tongue, Kelly Severide! You'd be bored to tears out there. I know you, Honey. You wouldn't be happy anyplace other than Station 51…"

He leaned in to kiss her.

She knew him so well.

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He strolled into the briefing room…just as Boden was getting started.

After they heard the daily bulletin from the CPD, the announcements from the brass…all the trivial stuff that may or may not trickle down to their pay grade…Boden asked if anyone had anything else to add.

He had wrapped up the "official" part of things. Then he left the room.

The men started to get up…

"Hey…guys?" Severide said.

They all looked up. Most of them had a feeling they knew what he was about to say.

"I just wanted to invite everyone over on Christmas Eve…we're gonna have a party for Andy and Jesse's birthday."

It was only right that the "family" be there.

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He brought the last of the folding chairs up from the basement…then he went into the kitchen where Lyssa was pulling the last pan of baked ziti out of the oven.

Kelly surveyed the feast set out on his kitchen counters…pasta, Italian beef, sausage and peppers, tossed green salad, fresh bread cut up and ready for sandwiches. On the pass through to the four season's room there were a dozen different kinds of cookies and not one…but _two_ cakes.

"How many people are we having?" he asked.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen so much food…not even at the firehouse.

"About forty…maybe fifty."

Remind him to sit down before he opened his credit card bill.

Kelly glanced at his watch…

"We better go get Thing 1 and Thing 2 ready to greet their guests.

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The house was practically bursting at the seams.

All of the team from the firehouse was there…and Hermann's wife Cindy and their five kids were there. Alyssa's whole family…minus her brother Jimmy and his family…Kelly's Aunt Kathy and his cousins were there…and Mr. and Mrs. Garibaldi from next door.

Everyone was enjoying all the good food Lyssa had prepared…

Kelly passed Hermann going back for thirds as he came from the kitchen with a cup of crème soda for Mr. Garibaldi…

"Great party, Lieutenant…" Hermann told him.

"Thanks…save room for dessert, will you. I don't want to have to eat all that stuff myself…"

But he knew he'd be hauling leftovers to the firehouse when they worked their next shift.

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Everyone gathered in the living room around the tree to watch the twins open their presents.

Hermann leaned over to Mouch…who'd taken up residence in his favorite corner of the worn leather sectional.

Apparently the couch didn't matter…Mouch was right at home.

"So much for my theory that the kids'd get gyped on the birthday presents…"

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Who would have thought there would be so many fire trucks and firefighter toys for babies? But the team at Station 51 had found them.

Alyssa had oohed and aahed…and Kelly burst out laughing as they helped Andy and Jesse open two of those dress-up dolls…the kind that had kids practicing how to button and snap and zip. Except these were custom made by Cindy Hermann's sister…and they were little firefighters in turnouts.

"Never too young to get started…" Kelly quipped. "Or are you trying to tell me something, Hermann?"

"Gotta keep your skills sharp…" Hermann said.

But the highlight of the day was when Mills, Cruz and Otis helped Casey bring in his presents from the garage.

Everyone gasped when the men set two fire trucks down on the hard wood floor. They were made of wood and the boys could sit in them and "drive" them as they moved them along with their feet. Both were painted bright red…and one was a mini replica of Truck 81, complete with ladders and a little length of hose line. The other was a little Rescue Squad truck with a 3 painted on the side.


	7. Chapter 7

**January 2016-Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot**

"Truck 81, Ambulance 61, Squad 3…Adams Street Bridge…possible drowning victim."

Great…Severide thought as he pulled on his wet suit in the back of the Squad…a water rescue…in the middle of the night…and its twenty degrees outside.

The chances that this would end well were probably slim to none.

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He jumped down off the rig and met the Chief.

"Those guys over there saw a man standing on the rail. They say they tried to get him down, but he jumped."

Severide nodded tersely. He'd find the guy…one way or another.

He climbed over the rail and his men lowered him down.

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The water was pitch black…and even with his wet suit on, he knew it was cold down there. He had to work fast if he had a hope in Hell of getting this guy out alive.

A minute later his light hit upon a body…and for a second it startled him. He was ghostly pale in the murky, black water. Kelly grabbed him and yanked on the line three times.

When they broke the surface he hurriedly slipped a rescue harness over the victim and the men hauled him up.

By the time Severide got back on terra firma Ambulance 61 was screaming down Adams toward Lakeshore Hospital.

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Back at the firehouse Severide stood under a hot shower…then pulled his CFD fleece over his head…and made his way to the common room to wrap his hands around a mug of hot coffee.

He was just about to pour it when his phone went off.

Who the hell would be calling him at two in the morning?

"What do you want, Shay?"

"Kelly…I'm still down at Lakeshore…"

"So?"

He was in no mood for twenty questions.

"Kelly…the jumper…"

"Spit it out, Shay. What about him?"

She hesitated briefly on her end.

"They pulled his wallet. His name is Jonathan DiNardo, thirty-three…California driver's license. Kelly, it that Alyssa's friend?"

Jonny DiNardo…Alyssa's oldest friend…the guy she pretended to date all through high school so nobody would know he was gay.

The guy Kelly had practically thrown out of his apartment two years ago.

"I'm on my way." He said.

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On his way to the hospital he debated whether or not to call Alyssa…but he decided he needed to see what the situation was first before he got her all worried.

He walked into the ER and immediately found Shay and Dawson restocking their supplies.

"Shay…what's goin' on? What do we know?"

"Not much more than what you'd expect. Water in his lungs, hypothermia…BAL through the roof."

"Is he awake?" Kelly asked.

Dawson shook her head.

"He _did_ wake up…but he became combative and they had to sedate him."

Kelly ran his hand through his hair.

"Do you know if they got a hold of his parents?"

"No…" Shay told him. "They couldn't find a local address and his phone's completely water logged. I told them that a friend was on the way down."

Kelly thought for a second…

"Okay…here's what I need you to do. Somebody needs to stay with the kids…"

"I'll do it." Leslie said.

"No…Shay, I need you to bring Alyssa down here. She's gonna freak out once she hears, and I don't want her driving in that condition."

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Kelly stood in the doorway of the treatment room watching Jonny sleep. He couldn't help but remember the last time he'd seen him…almost two years ago. He'd come home after a horrendous shift just wanting to hold Alyssa and forget about everything he had seen…only to find Jonny and Alyssa asleep on the couch. His blood had absolutely boiled at the sight of Jonny's arms wrapped around his girl…holding her so gently…so protectively. And Kelly would have probably hurt him…if he'd just gotten his hands on the guy.

After he practically chased Jonny out of the house, he and Alyssa had their worst fight ever and he'd gone off and gotten totally hammered…and nearly thrown away the best thing that had ever happened to him.

But if he lived to be a hundred…Kelly would never forget the look in Jonny's eyes that day.

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Jonny stirred on the cart…

As he opened his eyes slowly, he tried to figure out where he was. Things were coming back to him in flashes. He remembered a fight with his dad…a bar…walking around downtown. And then he remembered that he didn't have a friend to his name.

He looked around the room and he realized he was in a hospital. He heard the hiss of the oxygen…the beeping of the monitors. He saw a bag of fluid hanging from an IV pole above his head…and a tube going down into his arm. Then he remembered the bridge.

He continued to look around the darkened room and his eyes came to rest on the figure filling the door frame. He squinted to try and make out who it was.

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Kelly noticed Jonny was awake.

"Hey, Jonny…" he said. "It's Kelly Severide. You remember me?"

Jonny's eyes opened wide and his mouth went dry as he began to panic. Despite the oxygen flowing through the nasal cannula, he began to hyperventilate…his breath coming in ragged gasps. His heart rate skyrocketed.

Kelly quickly crossed the room to the cart.

"Hey…calm down, man. It's okay…nobody's gonna hurt you. Lyssa's on her way. She'll be here any minute…"

Lyssa? How? Why?

The monitors beeped wildly and a dozen people came running from all directions.

"What happened?" a nurse asked Kelly.

"I don't know…he started to hyperventilate…"

The chief resident came into the room.

"Let's get him some Ativan…it may be alcohol related."

A few moments later a nurse came in with a syringe and injected it into Jonny's IV.

Slowly…his heart rate began to come down and his breathing became more normal.

Kelly let out the breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding.

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What was wrong with Jonny? He looked absolutely terrified to see Kelly standing there.

"Kelly?"

He turned to see his wife hurrying toward him and he opened his arms to her. That was all the invitation she needed and she flew into his embrace and hugged him tight.

And he wrapped his arms around Alyssa and held her as close to him as he could.

"Kelly, what's going on? Leslie said Jonny jumped off the Adams Street bridge?"

"Yeah…it looks that way. He woke up just a minute ago…and he freaked out as soon as he saw me. They're still in there with him."

They both cast glances over to the door of the treatment room where the doctors and nurses were working on Jonny.

Finally the chief resident came out.

"Are you here for Mr. DiNardo?" he asked.

Kelly nodded.

"Yeah…I'm Kelly Severide…with the CFD. And this is my wife Alyssa. She's known Jonny forever."

"Well, I'm Dr. Atkinson."

"What's happening with him, Doctor?" Alyssa asked.

The young doctor hemmed and hawed. These people weren't family…so technically he shouldn't tell them anything.

"We know he jumped from the Adams Street bridge." Kelly said. "I'm the one who pulled him out. And when one of the paramedics heard his name, she recognized it and called me."

"Do you have a local address for him? Is there any family we can contact?"

Alyssa nodded.

"His parents…but he's always had a difficult relationship with them."

"We'll need to get in touch with them." Dr. Atkinson said.

"Can I talk to him first?" Alyssa asked.

"We're waiting for him to sober up so Crisis can evaluate him." The doctor told her.

"Does that mean I can't talk to him?"

The doctor studied the couple in front of him…then he nodded his head slowly.

Maybe this lady could get something out of him.

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Alyssa slowly approached the bed.

Jonny still looked out of it…like he was having trouble focusing.

"Jonny?" She whispered softly. "It's Lyssa…"

"Lyssa?"

His voice sounded more like a little boy than a man.

She glanced over to Kelly, waiting in the doorway.

He nodded to her.

Alyssa took a deep breath and reached out to Jonny.

She gently smoothed his tangled hair back.

"Jonny…talk to me. What goin' on?"

Jonny just looked up at her, and the tears began to spill down his face.

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And the whole story came out…it was hard to follow sometimes…sometimes Jonny became nearly hysterical with tears…but little by little it began to make some sense.

Shortly after Jonny had gotten back from their old choir mate's wedding…when he had fallen asleep at Alyssa and Kelly's apartment…he had met someone. A man named Christian. He was twenty-six and he worked in the mailroom at a law office. He was beautiful…blonde hair…green eyes…he looked like a beach boy.

And Jonny fell head over heels in love. Within a month Chris had moved in and it was heaven. Jonny was sure he'd found the one he would spend the rest of his life with.

They were together almost two years…twenty-two months, nine days, and a handful of hours.

Then four days ago, Jonny had come home to an empty apartment. Literally. Everything was gone…his furniture, his TV, a lot of his clothes…even their two dogs.

Jonny was frantic…calling Chris every five minutes…till his boyfriend _finally_ picked up.

It was over…he told Jonny. He had met someone else…over a year ago! A junior associate in the law firm…and they were moving to Austin where Eric had a new job.

Jonny was beyond devastated…he was shattered. He couldn't stay in the apartment…he couldn't stay in LA one minute longer. He packed what few things he had left, cleaned out his bank account…and bought a ticket on the next flight to Chicago.

He turned up on his parents' doorstep…and after they had invited him in, he told them everything.

To say they were shocked was the understatement of the century. They had thought Chris was just a roommate…they had no idea that he and Jonny had been…

Gerry DiNardo had blown a gasket…and he threw Jonny out of his house…

Now Jonny had truly lost everything. The love of his life…his family…and two years before he had lost his best friend.

After the confrontation in Alyssa and Kelly's apartment, Jonny had cut off all contact with her.

Jonny broke down again…and this time Alyssa gathered him in her arms and rocked him like she would one of her sons.

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It was almost afternoon by the time Alyssa and Kelly got home from the hospital.

Jonny had been placed on a seventy-two hour psych hold…and after that he could sign himself in voluntarily…or else be committed. The risk of him harming himself was just too great. Especially after his father had hung up when the hospital had called him.

Mills and Dawson were there with the boys…and they offered to take them to the diner for a while to give Kelly and Alyssa a couple hours to sleep.

But both Alyssa and Kelly wanted to hold their babies.

Kelly couldn't understand how Jonny's father could just turn his back on his son. He couldn't imagine how one day you had a kid…then the next you decided that kid didn't exist at all. All he knew…was Andy and Jesse were his heart. There was nothing he wouldn't do for them.

Later that night…after the twins were safe in their cribs…Alyssa broke down. She couldn't believe Jonny was hurting so badly…that someone had been so cruel…that he thought she wasn't his friend anymore.

And Kelly held her…he held her as close as he could…if he could have pulled her inside of him he would. He tangled his fingers in her long, brown hair…and whispered softly that everything would be all right.

7


	8. Chapter 8

**February 2016-Uh-oh!**

Why did they have to make kids toys so damn complicated?

Kelly contemplated this problem as he struggled with the tiny little screws on the battery casing of one of Andy and Jesse's toy fire trucks.

It was a great idea that they all had flashing lights and real sounding sirens…but after an hour or so…Kelly decided he _had_ to silence the entire fleet.

Andy, however, wasn't having it. He sat at Kelly's feet angrily pushing at the buttons trying to make the sound go. He picked up the toy ambulance and shook it with both hands.

Nothing…

"Da-da!" he said as he held out the toy.

Obviously Da-da would fix it and make it all better.

"Sorry, Buddy…Ambo needs some quiet time."

Andy's little face darkened. He didn't like quiet time.

"Da-da!" he said again…this time more insistently.

Kelly's heart just about melted and he almost gave in and put the batteries back in…almost.

"Andy, not even Aunt Leslie and Aunt Gabby run the sirens _all_ the time."

Jesse, on the other hand, was perfectly content to crawl along pushing his fire truck sans sirens. He simply made his own noises.

And Kelly almost burst out laughing as Jesse made a guttural sound from the back of his throat…he did sound like a noisy engine…

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He was enjoying a little quality time with the boys while Alyssa was down at Lakeshore for a therapy session with Jonny.

It had been almost a month since Jonny DiNardo had tried to commit suicide by jumping into the freezing cold Chicago River. He'd almost succeeded too…but luckily Kelly had gotten to him in time.

Jonny was still in the hospital…and now Alyssa and Kelly were the only "family" he had. His father had disowned him after Jonny had come out to him following a devastating break-up with his boyfriend of two years, Christian. So Lyssa became his sole support…and Kelly was going to support his wife.

But he had had an emotional session with Jonny a couple days before.

As part of his therapy, Jonny had written letters to Christian, and his father…and to Kelly. Kelly was the only one who was actually gonna read his letter…but in it Jonny had talked about how he felt when Kelly had come home and found him sleeping on the couch with Alyssa. How it had made him feel like he was sixteen again and Kelly was every jock that had ever beat him up…and how he was scared, then mad, then he had cut off all contact with Alyssa.

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So Kelly had gone with Alyssa for a "family meeting".

At first it was really hard to see Jonny…he was wearing pj bottoms and a t-shirt…and shoes with no laces. Who knew people had tried to strangle themselves with shoelaces?

Jonny had curled up in the corner of the couch in the doctor's office…

"Why don't we talk about the letter Jonny wrote you, Kelly…"

"What do you want me to say?" Kelly asked.

"Well…Jonny and I have been talking about why people react the way they do in certain situations…for example, Jonny reacted from a place of fear…because of his own experience of getting beaten up by a group of guys in the locker room. I want to hear where you were coming from the last time you saw Jonny."

Kelly looked at Alyssa, who squeezed his hand in hers and gave him a little nod of encouragement.

And he took a deep breath and started to tell the doctor what had been running through his head that morning.

"Can you tell Jonny, Kelly? For this to mean anything…he needs to understand your point of view…the same way you need to see his."

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What the doctor was saying made sense…in theory. But spilling his guts to a total stranger wasn't something Kelly was accustomed to doing.

"I was going through a lot of shit then. And when I came home after shift…and I saw Jonny holding my girlfriend on the couch…I lost it."

Alyssa was still holding his hand…and she gently rubbed circles a across the back of it with the pad of her thumb. He looked down at her hand…and on her ring finger was her wedding band and his grandmother's engagement ring. And he remembered what he had told his Aunt Kathy…that Grandma's ring was going on the right hand."

"Can you talk about what was going on with you then?" the doctor asked.

"Well…it was a lot of different things…and Jonny wouldn't have known about any of it…because we never really talked before. I think this was only the second time we ever laid eyes on each other…"

He paused to collect his thoughts.

"I'm a firefighter…and that night I spent about two hours extracting a victim from a car wreck. It was a twisted mess and I had to cut him and his girlfriend out piece by piece. I was talking to the guy…the girl was unconscious…trying to keep him calm. They were on their way back to the restaurant where they had their first date…and he was gonna propose."

He drew a ragged breath. He had never even told Alyssa about Stephen and Donna.

"So…anyway…I peeled back the dash…it was like opening a sardine can…and we got the guy out and got him on a board…but before we got to the ambulance…he died. One minute he was talking to me…the next he was gone. He had internal injuries and the dash and the steering wheel were keeping pressure on it. Once we released it…he bled out in less than a minute. I never saw anything like it…I hope I never do again."

Alyssa moved beside him…putting her arm around his shoulders.

For a minute he felt guilty. Jonny was the one with the problems…and Alyssa was comforting and supporting _him_.

But he had to get to the rest of it…

"And there was other stuff. I got injured at work…I fractured my C5 vertebra…and that was causing all kinds of problems. I won't go into all of it…but the pain got so bad…and I started self-medicating…first I took Lyssa's meds…then when she got so sick this one time…and I started taking morphine from the ambulance at work. I was injecting it right into my shoulder…so I wasn't in the most rational frame of mind." He said.

"That's a lot to be dealing with…" the doctor said.

"And there's more…" Alyssa said quietly.

She looked up at Kelly…and they had a silent conversation with their eyes. Then he nodded to her. It was okay that she tell the next part.

"I didn't know about it at the time…but Kelly had been engaged once before…long before we ever met…and she cheated on him. She slept with her ex-boyfriend right before the wedding…someone Kelly knew from work…"

"And even though Alyssa had told me that she and Jonny had _pretended_ to be going out…it was like Renee all over again."

The doctor nodded…then he turned to Jonny…who had uncurled himself from the tight ball he'd been in.

"Jonny? Does hearing all the things Kelly just said help put that morning in a different perspective?"

Jonny nodded slowly.

It was a good start...

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Kelly glanced at the clock. Alyssa should be home soon.

They had to get ready…

It was Valentine's Day…and he'd booked a hotel room downtown…and dinner at Morton's…and Dawson and Mills were on rug rat duty.

With all they were dealing with…between Jonny's situation…Kelly's job and all that entailed…two almost toddlers…Kelly decided they needed a night to themselves. He just wanted to take his beautiful wife out for a special dinner…someplace they'd normally never go…and then back to the hotel room where they could make love without the chance of somebody crying out for a bottle or a clean diaper…or whatever else could go wrong when you were thirteen months old.

If he got his way…they'd make it an annual tradition.

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His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a new word.

This time it was Jesse who said something first…

"Uh-oh." Jesse said.

Not a word a dad wanted to hear…

He looked up. Andy had pulled himself up on the couch…and he let go.

For a few seconds he wobbled…and Kelly was ready to catch him…but he slowly took one step…then another.

And another…until he toddled over to where Kelly had just set the last silent truck.

He wobbled for another second…then he sat down hard. But he crawled back over to the couch pushing the truck with him…adding his own sound effects.

What…his brother had a good idea…

Once he got to the sofa, he pulled himself up again…and took off again…only this time a bit more sure footed.

"Uh-oh." Jesse said again.

Oh…you ain't kidding.

Andy was mobile…uh-oh!

5


	9. Chapter 9

**Easter Sunday 2016—Go Jesse!**

Second watch had to work Saturday to Easter Sunday.

And on Saturday morning, Shay and Dawson came in leading a little parade…Mills, Otis and Cruz…and everyone was loaded down with bags from Target and Wal-Mart.

They dumped the bags onto the table.

"What the hell is all this?" Severide asked as he sifted through bags and bags of candy, dozens of plastic eggs, baskets, cellophane grass, and toys.

"What does it look like?" Shay asked.

"It looks like somebody doesn't know how to read a calendar. Halloween is in October…and Christmas is in December!"

"We're gonna have an Easter egg hunt for the kids tomorrow…" Dawson explained.

Casey reached over her shoulder to snag a Cadbury Egg…and Gabby slapped it out of his hand.

"For the _kids_, Casey!"

"Would you believe I'm just a kid at heart?" he asked innocently.

"Nice try…" Dawson said as she rolled her eyes.

Kelly was still sifting through the piles.

"There's enough candy here to rot every kid in the neighborhood's teeth! How many kids are we talkin' here?"

"Seven…" Leslie said.

"_Seven_?!" Severide wasn't sure he heard right.

Seventy-seven was more like it.

"Yours and Hermann's." Shay told him.

Kelly shook his head…

"If Andy eats all this…he's goin' home with you!"

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In between calls the team filled over two hundred plastic eggs and made up seven Easter baskets.

And Severide continued to grumble about the excess of it all…but he was really touched that his friends were doing all this for his boys.

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At one in the morning they got a call out to an underground nightclub on the West side.

It was a mess…the fire was burning out of control.

An abandoned building…pirated electricity…the paint and furnishings inside that hadn't been up to "code" in about fifty years…

They kept pulling kids out…one after another…it seemed like it would never stop.

Severide overheard bits and pieces of the story as he went in and out of the building.

A bunch of kids were doing flaming shots in a corner…someone had panicked and spilled…a couple of guys tried to put the fire out by dumping their drinks on the flames…

The fire shot up and caught some ratty old fabric hanging on the walls…and there was a panic.

And apparently there was a delay in calling 911…no doubt due to the illegal nature of the club.

This was a full blown level five situation…they had about a dozen companies there…and they'd pulled ambulances from all over the city. Lakeshore and seven other hospitals were on mass casualty alert.

The city's disaster plan was in full swing.

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Never underestimate the combination of stupidity and alcohol…and other recreational substances.

Shay was trying to get a boy with burns up and down his arm into the ambulance…but in his inebriated state the asshole was confusing the ambulance with the paddy wagon. He was flailing wildly and he narrowly missed Shay as he swung his fist in a wide, unfocused arc.

Severide rushed in to restrain him…but the guy was hopped up on more than just booze…he flung Kelly around like a ragdoll…and Mills, Capp, Cruz and Casey jumped in to help. It was a tense struggle…but the five firefighters managed to put the kid into submission.

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They barely got back to the firehouse in time to shower and change before Alyssa and Cindy showed up with the kids.

Gabby and Leslie had spread the eggs out across the front lawn…and Andy and Jesse, and Hermann's two youngest went to "hunt" them.

Andy got the hang of it right away, and he was running all over the place…scooping up eggs and putting them in his basket.

And Shay was chasing him around trying to keep him on the lawn.

Jesse was going about things in a more thoughtful manner.

He could walk…as long as he had something to hold onto…and Uncle Matt's finger was working out just fine. Casey walked beside the little boy carrying his basket…and Jesse chattered away as he picked up egg after egg.

"Look, Jesse…there's a blue one…" Casey said.

"Boo?"

"Yes…blue. See, right there?"

Jesse squatted down and scooped up the egg.

"Boo!" he said happily as he held it up to Casey.

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Kelly stood off to the side with his arm around Alyssa…just watching…and smiling.

"Hey Casey!" he called out. "The kids are supposed to be the ones doin' this…"

Casey looked over at him.

"For your information, my godson and I have a deal here…"

While Kelly and Matt were bantering back and forth, Jesse dropped to the ground and started crawling toward the next egg. But Andy saw it too, and ran over to scoop it up.

"Uh…guys?" Alyssa said as she saw a potential disaster unfolding in front of her.

Kelly and Matt looked up in time to see Jesse reach up and grab his brother by the front of the shirt. With one good tug he pulled Andy down to his level and calmly took the egg from his hand.

"Mine!" Jesse said.

And Andy opened up his mouth and began to howl at the injustice of it all.

Kelly had to bite the inside of his cheeks to keep from bursting out laughing.

Usually Andy was the one running roughshod over Jesse…and apparently Jesse had had enough.

He jogged over to pick up Andy while Casey hoisted Jesse into the air.

And Jesse held out the egg to Uncle Matt to put in the basket…

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When they got home Alyssa and Kelly put the boys down for a nap.

They still had a big day ahead of them. They were going to the diner to have Easter dinner with their firehouse family.

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And before that, they were going over to Lakeshore to sign Jonny out for a day pass to go with them.

It had been two and a half months since Kelly had pulled Jonny out of the river after his suicide attempt…he'd been in the hospital all this time…and they were thinking about releasing him. This posed a huge problem.

Jonny's father still refused to so much as mention his son's name, it's like Jonny never even existed to him. Alyssa had speculated to Kelly that Gerry DiNardo had always known in his heart of hearts that Jonny was gay…but actually hearing the words out loud had been too much for his old-fashioned machismo and Catholic upbringing.

Whatever…the man was still an asshole.

But Jonny had nowhere to go. And he was out of money. And he had no job prospects.

Alyssa wanted to bring him home to their house…and Kelly was thinking about it.

Even though he and Jonny had been talking and had cleared the air between them since Kelly had almost bodily thrown Jonny out of his apartment…the idea of bringing Alyssa's first love (her first lover) into his home made his stomach tighten up in knots. That and Jonny had yet to see the twins.

A lot of his decision would hinge on how well today's visit went.

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After the boys were down for the count…Lyssa and Kelly went to their room to lie down themselves.

The whole night suddenly came crashing in as Kelly sank down on Alyssa's side of the bed. He was so grateful when his wife came to him and linked her arms gently around his neck.

"Rough shift?" she asked quietly.

Kelly took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

'Rough' didn't begin to cover it.

"We had a call out to one of those underground clubs…" he said. "It was crazy…there must've been a thousand kids in there."

"I saw the papers this morning." Alyssa said.

"There was this one guy…he was juiced up on God only knows what…took a swing at Shay."

Alyssa took a step closer to him…and hugged him to her. And Kelly melted into her embrace…just letting all her love wash over him. He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her tiny frame.

He was just listening to the sound of her heart beating…

"Do you want me to rub your back, Honey?"

"You read my mind…" he said with a tired smile.

She helped him with his t-shirt…and Kelly stretched out across the bed.

He groaned as her hands began to knead his aching muscles.

"Am I hurting you?" she asked.

"Uh-uh…feels good. I'm just really sore." He told her. "That guy that tried to hit Leslie…it took five of us to put him down. He was like the Incredible Hulk."

"Did you get hurt?"

Alyssa was worried…she always worried about him.

She said it was part of her job description…being married to a firefighter.

"No…I told you…I'm just sore. Nothing a back rub and a hot shower won't fix…"

Lyssa continued to rub his back…and Kelly smiled to himself as he felt her familiar touch on his right shoulder…then she worked her way across to his left.

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Kelly knew he was a lucky man…but most of his life he felt kind of like it was him against the world…and most everyone he had ever counted on was gone, in one way or another. His father may have been his hero…but he'd never really been much of a father. His mother had raised him by herself…but she was gone…breast cancer. His Grandma Kelly was gone…and Renee had let him down in the worst way possible. Kelly had gone for years not letting anyone in…so no one could ever hurt him again.

Then he met Alyssa. Right from day one she had this hold on him…every look…every touch…had reached right into his very soul and he couldn't break that mystical force, no matter how hard he tried. And he had tried…at first. He had tried to convince himself that they were just having a casual_ thing_…that she was just a friend with some very, _very_ special benefits.

And he almost lost her…in more ways than one. First to her crazy stalker of an ex-boyfriend…the sonofabitch broke into her apartment one night when Kelly was on shift…and nearly killed her.

Kelly had tried to walk away…he really tried. But Alyssa had said four little words to him…in the last message she'd left on his voicemail before the attack.

I love you, Babe.

But being in love wasn't an easy proposition…not when Alyssa had to fight her way back from the devastating injuries she'd suffered in the attack. And not when Kelly was battling his own demons…a potentially career-ending injury…and serious problem with pain medication…and his constant fight to guard his heart.

But they had gotten through all of that…and they had two beautiful, healthy, happy little boys. They had a home that was just surrounded with love and friends and family. He had a job that he loved…

He was a lucky man.

Kelly turned over on the bed and caught Alyssa around the waist. With one fluid motion he pulled he on top of him and they looked deeply into one another's eyes. And they couldn't deny the passions that were pulling them closer and closer together.

He captured her lips with his and kissed her with everything he had.

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They loaded up the car with all the goodies Alyssa had spent the last two days preparing…all the Italian traditions. Easter Pie with the creamy ricotta and mozzarella cheeses and chunks of sausage…the multi colored loaves of braided bread…the cookies…and the cakes in the shape of a lamb.

"You _do _realize we could feed a small _country_ with all this stuff…" he said as he closed the tailgate on Alyssa's SUV.

"It's a tradition, Kelly…these things have been on my family's table every Easter for about a hundred years…"

Kelly smiled and just shook his head.

There was no arguing with her…and he loved the idea that they were building their own traditions with their family from the firehouse and that his boys were taking part in not only Alyssa's family traditions, but Casey's and Mills' and Dawson's and everyone else's.

And he loved Lyssa's Easter Pie. He'd be munching on that all week long.

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Alyssa was nervous as they drove around to Lakeshore's Behavioral Health campus…it was a separate wing from the rest of the hospital…to go pick up Jonny.

"What's wrong, Lyssa?" Kelly asked.

"Jonny's really anxious about this today…and I'm anxious for him." She answered.

"What's he worried about?"

Alyssa sighed.

"He's afraid it's gonna feel weird, sitting down to dinner with the people who pulled him out of the river."

"So why are we doing this?"

It didn't matter to him…and he knew it didn't matter to the rest of the team what condition Jonny had been in the last time they saw him.

But then again…they were used to seeing people on the worst day of their life.

"Because I told Jonny that if he's gonna be a part of our life, he's gonna have to get used to being with our friends and our family. We're not gonna isolate him or ourselves in a cocoon."

That made sense. If Jonny did end up living with them, the people from the firehouse were always coming over…to babysit the twins, to have dinner, to watch a game…to help with some project or another.

"Well…I can tell you everybody from the house is cool with him coming…we'll just see how today goes…then we'll figure the rest out." He said.

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Kelly waited in the car with the twins while Lyssa went in to sign Jonny out.

Jonny was waiting in his room when she got there.

"You ready?" she asked.

"I don't know about this, Lyssa. I don't think I can do it."

It was like Jonny had reverted to his high school days…and Alyssa remembered that weekend after three football players, Bryce Potroski, Cory Richter, and Danny Spain had jumped him in the boys' locker room. She had snuck in there and found Jonny bruised and bloody on the shower room floor. Bryce claimed Jonny was checking him out…but Bryce would make any excuse to beat up on someone.

No wonder he had been convicted of assault twice.

Alyssa had protected Jonny back then…and they had spent the next three and a half years acting out this weird little play…making everyone think they had suddenly fallen madly in love…and Jonny couldn't keep his hands off her.

Looking back now, it was probably more for Jonny's parents benefit than anyone else. Jonny was more afraid of his dad than he was anyone.

But she couldn't do that anymore. She had her family to think of…and as much as she loved and cared for Jonny and wanted to help him…any feelings she had ever had for him paled compared to what she felt for Kelly and for her sons. Jonny was going to have to make an effort to fit into her new life if he wanted to be a part of it.

"Jonny…" she said gently. "We talked about this with Dr. Gracin all week long. I wouldn't take you someplace where you won't be safe. I promise you…no one's gonna hold anything against you. Every one of these people has been in a precarious situation and had to have someone pull them out. But this is my life now…my family…and I want you to be a part of it."

He looked up at his oldest friend…his _only_ friend.

He _could_ do this…he _had_ to.

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Jonny climbed into the backseat between the twins car seats.

He looked nervously from one to the other.

How was he gonna tell them apart?

Kelly looked at him in the rear view mirror.

"Andy's in the red…Jesse's in the blue…" he said automatically. "Guys…say hi to Jonny…"

"Hi!" Andy chirped.

Jesse just opened and closed his little hand…his way of waving.

"Okay…time to get some dinner." Kelly told them.

Andy clapped happily.

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They sat at a long table down the center of the diner…

Jonny was surprised to see Alyssa's brothers Tony, Mark, Nick and Joey there…and he was surprised not to see Alyssa's parents.

But Alyssa explained to him that her mom still hadn't accepted that Kelly was her husband and she refused to acknowledge the life they'd made together because it wasn't what she had wanted…so Nadine had a very limited place in their life. Alyssa laid down the ground rules…and it was up to Nadine to decide whether or not she wanted to abide by them. The answer was usually 'no'.

Jonny had a good idea of what Nadine would have done if she could have orchestrated this particular aspect of Alyssa's life…and he was glad she wasn't there. He remembered how awkward and uncomfortable it was when she had begged and pleaded (nagged) for him to come after Alyssa had gotten hurt.

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So Jonny sat between Jesse and one of the firefighters…the one they called 'Mouch'…Alyssa sat on the other side of Jesse…beside her husband.

And on the other side of Kelly, Andy sat shoveling food into his mouth. Jonny'd never seen anyone eat so much. But apparently this was nothing new.

"Mo' tookey!" Andy said.

"What's the magic word?" Kelly asked him.

"Peas?"

Kelly chuckled.

"Close enough."

He stabbed a little piece of turkey and cut it into tiny pieces.

"Have they checked him for a tapeworm?" Shay asked.

"And a hollow leg…" Kelly answered. "He's just all boy."

Jesse just looked around…taking it all in.

Then he said something…very softly…and Jonny wasn't sure he heard right at first.

"Piggy…"

"Did you just call your brother a piggy?" Jonny whispered to the little boy.

And Jesse looked up…and smiled.


	10. Chapter 10

_Notes: The song quoted is Danny's Song by Kenny Loggins. I got the idea for having Benny play it when I remembered Treat Williams playing an acoustic guitar and singing on the premiere episode of Everwood about a hundred years ago…and I'm not sure if anyone's old enough to remember him in Hair…_

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**June 2016—Two Years of Wedded Bliss**

June 21, 2016…Kelly and Alyssa's second wedding anniversary.

That called for a celebration.

It had been a little tense around the house in the past month…and Kelly in particular was looking forward to a little relaxation.

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Jonny DiNardo had moved into the downstairs guest room when he was finally released from Lakeshore. Not that there were a whole lot of choices…just a couple of halfway houses…and Kelly and Alyssa had taken one look at those and said 'no thank-you'.

Jonny didn't need to be with a bunch of recovering addicts and sometime felons. But there were a few moments around the Severide house.

The first one was when Kelly had gotten Jonny a job down at the firehouse answering phones and doing office work. It was really a perfect fit…it wasn't full time, so it left plenty of wiggle room for Jonny's therapy sessions. It gave him a little walking around money…and Kelly could serupticiously keep an eye out for him. But Jonny still felt awkward around the team…he was sure they were looking at him and remembering the night he tried to end it all.

It took separate talks with both Alyssa and Kelly to make him understand that it wasn't all about him.

Kelly had told him gently…but truthfully…how many calls the firefighters can get in just one shift…they couldn't possibly remember all the people they had helped save. And what's more…the only ones who knew the whole story were him…Shay, Dawson, Mills, Casey…and Chief. As far as the rest of them knew, he was just an old friend of Alyssa's who was going through a rough time.

And Lyssa had spelled it out. She and Kelly were there for Jonny…he was welcome in their home and as a part of their family…but he had to get on with his life. He couldn't hide in the house and feel sorry for himself…he had to help himself. And that meant getting into a routine, getting out, interacting with people. Alyssa told him she was proud of him for the steps he'd made thus far…getting out of the hospital, making peace with Kelly, getting to know the twins. But he had to keep pushing forward.

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There were also little moments when having another adult in the house was not always convenient…

One night Kelly had come into the kitchen late at night…the twins were asleep…Jonny was in his room with the door shut…and Lyssa was putting the last of the cookies she'd made in their containers.

Kelly stood in the doorway watching his wife as she stretched to put the container atop the cabinet…far, far…far out of the reach of curious little fingers…and little bodies that were beginning to climb like monkeys. Particularly the one that was like a bottomless pit when it came to food.

He silently came up behind her and took the container from her hand…turning her to face him. He ran his hands through her long brown curls and over her shoulders, down her back, bringing them to rest around her tiny waist.

Alyssa was so small…barely five feet…hardly more than a hundred pounds…and Kelly lifted her easily up onto the kitchen counter. Once they were more on an even keel…he leaned down to kiss her deeply…allowing his hands to once again roam over every inch of her.

And she responded in kind…her hands sliding up under the t-shirt that was molded to her husband like a second skin…her legs wrapping around his waist as he pulled her closer.

But the moment was shattered into a million pieces when they heard a startled gasp from the kitchen door and as they reluctantly tore themselves from one another saw a flash darting back into the guest room and slamming the door behind it.

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Kelly was angry as he stomped off to compose himself…and Alyssa went to Jonny's room.

He turned on the shower and stripped down. As the water ran over him, he tried to reign in his anger and frustration. It was his house, damn it…and this wasn't the first time Jonny had walked in on him and Alyssa during a private moment.

Downstairs Alyssa felt like she was confronting a child.

"Jonny…he's my _husband_. What's so shocking about a man and his wife having a moment together?

"In the _kitchen_?" Jonny wailed.

"Or the living room…or the laundry room…whatever…" Alyssa said. "Do I need to remind you of all the places _we_ got caught?"

"That was different…we…at least _I_ wanted to get caught…that was all part of the game!"

"Well, this is no game…I'm sorry if it bothers you…but Kelly and I have a very…healthy…relationship."

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Kelly heard the bedroom door close…and moments later the bathroom door opened.

Then he felt hands slide across his back and shoulders.

He didn't move.

"Kelly…please don't be angry…"

But he was.

"Kelly…please…" she whispered.

The desperation in her voice made him turn around…and take her in his arms.

He was mad…but not at her. Alyssa was the most kind-hearted, loving person he'd ever known. And he knew she was walking a tightrope too…trying to help her friend and still keep _their_ life running normally.

"I love you…" she whispered. "I love you so much…"

He took a deep breath…and just let it all go.

"I know you do, Baby. I know. And I love you."

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Kelly was hosing down the patio set…so it would have plenty of time to dry before everyone showed up looking to eat…

He loved that everyone got together at his place…but he was seriously gonna have to start charging the guys for groceries. Alyssa's phenomenal cooking skills coupled with her Italian tendency to over prepare made for some heart stopping grocery bills.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he jumped when he heard a horn behind him.

And he turned around to see Casey putting his truck in park.

"Aren't you a little early?"

Casey got out of the cab and looked at his watch…

"Only about seven hours…." He said.

He started pulling back the tarp from the bed.

"Whatcha got?" Severide asked him.

Casey shrugged.

"Just a little something I been working on…consider it an anniversary present. Some assembly required…"

Kelly laughed and turned off the hose.

They started hauling pieces out of the truck…and Casey surveyed the yard to find a good spot to set it up.

It was a climbing gym he had designed…to look like Truck 81. It had a fiberglass slide down the back and ladders up the sides…knobs and gauges and valves that actually turned…a pretend hose…and a cab with a steering wheel and a bell.

Kelly went into the garage to grab his tool box and he and Matt got started…some assembly required.

"You know…most people get an anniversary present for the couple…" Kelly quipped. "Not the couple's kids."

Casey smacked his palm to his forehead.

"Oh…that's right! Oh well, maybe Andy and Jesse'll let you play with it…"

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They worked in silence for a while…

"So…uh…how's things going with the houseguest?" Casey asked.

Kelly shrugged.

"Up and down…kinda sucks how he knows Lyssa better than I do in some ways. Sometimes it's like the two of them have their own language."

And that language was music…usually connected to some song.

Kelly had known Alyssa and Jonny were in choir and swing choir together…and they did some plays in high school. But he never knew that they used to sing in her brother Joey's garage band…or that they had performed together all over the city.

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The team started arriving…and so did four of Alyssa's five brothers and their families. They never saw her brother Jimmy…his wife Roxanne would never lower herself to come to a backyard BBQ…especially coming into the city…where all the robbers and rapists and gangbangers lived. Whatever…they were missing a good time.

Joey also brought his best friend Jason Biscan. Jason had been in the band with Lyssa and Jonny…and right off the bat, Kelly didn't like him.

More specifically…he didn't like the way the guy was eyeing his wife. While Kelly was lighting the grill he watched Jason flirting with Alyssa. She was uncomfortable, he could tell. And she kept taking a few steps back to put a more respectable distance between them. But the guy didn't get the hint.

Jonny came out with the meat…

"Here…this should be enough to get started…" he said.

Then he noticed the distracted look on Kelly's face. He followed his host's gaze…

Ahhh…

"Jason, Jason, Jason…some things never change." Jonny said, shaking his head.

Kelly looked up.

"What's the deal with this guy?"

"He's had a thing for Lyssa I think since he hit puberty….and subtlety was never in his repertoire. I had to call him out a bunch of times. You see how well that worked out." Jonny told him.

"Well, I'm about ten seconds away from throwing his ass outta my house." Kelly said.

"I'd offer to help…but you've prob'ly got everything under control."

Across the yard, Jason took another step closer to Alyssa…and she was running out of escape room.

"You can hold the door." Kelly said to Jonny.

"You got a deal…" Jonny replied.

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Everyone was having a good time, filling plate after plate with the good food Alyssa had made.

Andy and Jesse and their cousins, Declan, Aiden, and Connor were having a ball playing on the new fire engine Uncle Matt had built.

Kelly just looked out at his friends and family…hanging out on a beautiful day, laughing and eating and drinking…this was exactly the way he had wanted to spend the day.

Alyssa came up to him…

"You want anything, Baby?" she asked.

Out of the corner of his eye Kelly caught Jason checking Alyssa out…and he reached out for her hand and drew his wife into his lap.

"I do want something…" he said, pitching his voice so only she could hear him. "But we got a house full of people right now…"

Alyssa smiled as she curled up in his arms.

"Well, it just so happens…I do have a special anniversary gift for you later."

Kelly kissed her…and gave her a wicked smile…

"I can't wait."

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Later, Alyssa's brothers and Jonny brought out the guitars…

As Jonny tuned the twelve string that had belonged to Alyssa, and Mark picked up her old six string…Leslie lifted Andy up into her lap.

The little boy was practically falling asleep…he'd run himself out.

Jesse wobbled over to Uncle Matt and tried to climb up into his lap.

Casey lifted him high in the air.

"Where're you goin', Mister?" he asked."

"Uppy…" Jesse answered.

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From over his shoulder Kelly heard someone coming.

"I heard there was a party 'round here…"

He turned his head to see his father coming up the drive.

"Hey, Pop…"

Benny came into the yard…and rocked uncomfortably on his heels as he eyed the guests…his gaze coming to rest on Chief Boden and then on Peter Mills…

Kelly rolled his eyes in exasperation.

His dad really needed to get over himself.

"Grab a plate, Dad…" he said.

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Instruments tuned, Jonny strummed a couple chords…

"Play Lyssa's song…" Jason called out.

Jonny's expression hardened.

He didn't know who Jason was trying to score points with…but it wasn't working.

Jonny turned to Kelly. He raised his eyebrows in a question.

"You mind?"

"Go ahead…" Kelly told him.

So Jonny began to play… "Brown Eyed Girl"…and Joey, Nicky and Mark joined in.

He had to admit…the impromptu concert was nice. What really surprised him, though, was how good Alyssa and Jonny sounded together.

He'd heard Alyssa sing…around the house, in the car with the radio and he thought she was good…but now he could see how good.

Another surprise was how much his dad was enjoying the music.

"What? This is my era…" Benny said when Kelly made the comment.

They were playing all the songs from the 70's… "Sweet Home Alabama"… "Take It Easy"… "Midnight Rider"…and "Feel Like Makin' Love".

"Hey…can I borrow that?" Benny asked Mark.

Mark handed him the six string…and Benny fingered a couple chords…

"Since when do you play guitar Pop?" Kelly asked.

Benny strummed a chord…

"How do you think I hooked your mother? With a pike pole?"

He began to play…

"This was your mom's favorite…" he told Kelly.

_People smile and tell me I'm the lucky one_

_And we've just begun, think I'm gonna have a son…_

Kelly didn't miss the smiles that Alyssa and Jonny shot one another.

Like he'd said…their own language.

But Lyssa snuggled into his arms and softly sang the chorus into his ear.

And any anger and resentment he had melted away.

_And even though we ain't got money…I'm so in love with you, Honey_

_Everything will bring a chain of love_

_And in the mornin' when I rise, bring a tear of joy to my eye_

_And tell me everything's gonna be all right._

Benny was lost in the music…and in his memories. But Kelly couldn't help but think that this old song could have been written for him and Alyssa.

…_Now I smile and face a girl who shares my name_

_I'm through with the game…this boy'll never be the same._

Jonny and Joey had come in on their guitars…and as Benny got to the last chorus, Alyssa and Jonny came in with the harmony…

_And even though we ain't got money…I'm so in love with you, Honey_

_Everything will bring a chain of love_

_And in the mornin' when I rise, bring a tear of joy to my eye_

_And tell me everything's gonna be all right._

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But the party had to come to an end eventually…and Kelly finally had his confrontation with Jason when he caught the guy practically leering at Alyssa as she took a sleeping Jesse from Matt.

When she and Leslie carried the boys into the house to put them in bed Kelly came up behind his brother-in-law's old friend.

"You like what you see? 'Cause she's taken…"

Jason whirled around in complete surprise.

He couldn't mistake the dark look on Kelly's face.

"Don't you think it's maybe just _a little_ disrespectful to be checkin' out another man's wife? Especially when he's standin' right here?"

"C'mon…" Jason stammered. "I've known Lyssa since she got her first training bra!"

Like that made it okay?

"I don't give a fuck…" Kelly growled. "I _know_ you noticed she's not wearing one now…"

He took a step closer to the guy…

"She's _my _wife…and you're not comin' into_ my_ house and actin' like that doesn't matter!"

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Apparently Jason got the message…'cause he high tailed it out of there right away.

Jonny was folding chairs and breaking down tables with the rest of the guys from the firehouse.

"Everything okay?" he asked Kelly in a low voice.

Kelly looked toward the street…and he heard a car peeling down the street.

" I should've just hit him. It'd make me feel a helluva lot better…"

"I'm sure you'll have better luck than I did…" Jonny said. "All I got was a sprained wrist for my troubles."

Kelly chuckled. Jonny definitely wasn't the fighting kind…

"Well, I can always hit him once for you too…or you can start workin' out with me and the guys at the house. We'll whip you into shape in no time."

A look of pure horror crossed Jonny's face.

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After everyone was gone…and the boys were safely in their cribs…and Jonny was holed up in his room…Kelly shut the bedroom door.

He moved up silently behind Alyssa…wrapping his arms around her and folding himself around her tiny frame.

"Happy Anniversary, Mrs. Severide…" he whispered.

She turned to face her husband.

"Happy Anniversary, Kelly…"

He pulled her flush against him…letting her know exactly what was on his mind.

"I think you promised me a special anniversary present…"

She smiled.

"I did…didn't I."

And she took him by the hand and led him to their bed.


	11. Chapter 11

**Christmas Eve 2016-Andy & Jesse's 2nd Birthday**

Second watch had pulled duty on Christmas Eve.

And Severide wasn't the only one who wasn't happy about it.

Andy and Jesse were kind of like everyone's kids…and the whole team looked forward to celebrating the twins' birthday.

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He flopped down into a chair with a cup of coffee and a muffin…feeling sorry for himself.

Then Shay, Dawson, Mills and Casey came into the common room…each carting a box and several bags.

They dumped it all on the table.

"Watch it! What's all this?" Kelly asked as he barely grabbed his coffee mug out of the way.

"It's for Andy and Jesse's birthday…" Shay said.

Kelly stared at her like she'd lost her mind.

She just rolled her eyes at him.

"In what alternate universe do you think we wouldn't have a party for my godsons?" she asked.

"Aren't we kind of missing a couple key people here? Namely the birthday boys?"

"Lyssa's bringing them at one." Dawson said.

"And what if we get a call?" Mills asked.

"Then we call Alyssa and push it back." Shay said. "But come hell or high water, we're _going_ to celebrate Andy and Jesse's birthday. I don't care if they come in their jammies."

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Some of the others came up to see what they could do.

Shay handed Mouch and Otis each a couple packages of balloons.

"Here…you two've been accused of being full of hot air more than once." She said. "Put it to good use."

Dawson and Casey were making piles of plates and napkins…streamers and little hats.

"Someone go get the Scotch tape!" Dawson called out. "And the ladder!"

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It was a blessedly slow day for calls…mostly ambulance runs…a run for the truck…but the team was busy decorating the common room with balloons and streamers and "Happy Birthday" banners.

Kelly stepped back to survey the scene…it wouldn't be a big blowout bash like the twins first birthday…but everyone that mattered would be there. And they'd surely have a cake and whatever at Alyssa's brother's place when they went for Christmas the next day.

The boys were gonna love it.

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At one on the dot Alyssa arrived with the birthday boys.

Andy came running in, his red jacket making him look like the Michelin Tire Man…just the wrong color. His shoes had lights on the back and sides that twinkled every time his feet hit the floor.

"Daddy!" he cried out happily as he ran over to Kelly who was squatted down to catch the little boy in his arms.

Moments later Jesse came right behind him…only he looked like a Smurf in his blue jacket.

"Daddy!" he said.

He was just getting over a bad cold and his little voice still sounded kind of froggy…

Kelly scooped him up too and kissed his son's forehead.

No fever…thank God.

Having a sick baby was a nightmare…and Kelly and Alyssa had taken turns staying up at night holding Jesse, because he coughed so badly when they tried to lay him down.

Kelly had even called in to work…he couldn't just leave Alyssa to fend for herself for twenty four hours with Jesse sick and Andy running around and getting into everything.

But they'd finally gotten past the worst of it…and Jesse was definitely on the mend. Just in time for his birthday and Christmas.

He took them and sat them on the counter. He started to take their coats and hats and scarves and mittens off…and Leslie came over to help.

"Who's a birthday boy?" she asked.

"Jesse." Jesse said.

"Andy!" Andy said even louder.

"And how old are you?"

Andy held up one finger.

"Not anymore, Buddy." Kelly said with a chuckle as he took Andy's hand and repositioned the little boy's fingers so he has holding up two. "Now you're two fingers…"

Jesse was just watching…and he copied what Kelly did with Andy's hand on his own.

"Two fin-gers" he said.

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At one-thirty Ingrid Mills showed up with two cakes…one chocolate…Andy's favorite…and one fun-fetti…Jesse's favorite.

And Cindy Hermann was right behind her with her five kids and half a dozen containers of Oberweiss ice cream.

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Kelly was sure right about one thing…the boys loved their party.

Shay must have been planning for weeks…because she came up with games for the kids…both big and little.

Watching them play "Pin the tail on the Donkey"…only with a fire truck poster and cut out helmets…was enough to have most everyone laughing till they cried. Especially since there were two posters…one at Andy and Jesse's height, and one a little higher for the big "kids".

After everyone stuffed themselves with cake and ice cream…it was time for presents.

And once again…Hermann's theory about the boys getting slighted on the birthday gifts…was blown out of the water.

Shay, Dawson and Mills went in to refurnish the twins room with fire engine sheets, comforters and all the things to turn their nursery into a big boy room.

There were puzzles and remote control fire engines…and books galore…but then Casey led everyone into the briefing room where his present was waiting.

Both Kelly and Alyssa's jaws dropped when they saw it.

Casey had built the boys a two story fire house…with a bunk room on the second level, a common room, and an apparatus room on the first. And he had built wooden replicas of Engine 51, Truck 81, Ambulance 61, Squad 3 and Chief's vehicle…complete with bendable "firefighters". He'd even found a doll maker to make them resemble the team.

"My God, Matt…how long did all this take you?" Kelly asked as he knelt down beside his sons to look at every little working part.

"I started it the day you told us you and Alyssa were having boys." Casey told him.

Neither Kelly nor Alyssa knew what to say.

Alyssa hugged Matt…with tears in her eyes.

They were truly blessed to have their firehouse family…surrounding Andy and Jesse with so much love…and spoiling them absolutely rotten.

Kelly stood up and held out his hand to Casey, pulling him into a "man hug"…

And then the big boys went to play firehouse with Andy and Jesse.


	12. Chapter 12

**January 2017-Keeping the Monster in the Cage**

There was a blizzard raging outside…but things were nice and cozy in the Severide house.

The boys were both miraculously down for a nap…they were trying their best to give it up…but Mommy and Daddy were equally determined to keep an afternoon sleep in the schedule. And thanks to all the new toys from their birthday and Christmas Andy and Jesse had pretty much played themselves out and were rubbing their eyes during lunch.

So the house was quiet…four different pots were simmering…beef stew in the slow cooker, chicken soup, meat sauce and chili on the stove. Two different kinds of cookies were cooling on the counter…and Kelly's favorite Chocolate Cherry Nut bread had just come out of the oven.

Kelly decided to take a break from taking down the Christmas tree and see if he could pry Alyssa from the kitchen long enough to enjoy a little "quiet time".

Since Jonny had moved out the month before they had the entire house to themselves again.

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Jonny had come home one afternoon in mid October to announce that he'd gotten a part in a production of "Rock of Ages" being put on at the Marriott theatre out in Lincolnshire. He was going to play Drew and he was excited and nervous and elated and scared all at the same time.

He'd taken Alyssa and Kelly out to dinner at Chicago Firehouse to celebrate…and to thank them for everything they had done for him.

And then a couple days of hauling himself out to the 'burbs for rehearsals and coming home late at night convinced him that he needed an apartment closer to his new place of employment. So he'd taken a place out in Wheeling…and the family at the firehouse had banded together to get him set up with some hand-me-down furniture and household items…and Kelly and the rest of the men had helped him move. Then Alyssa got in there and gave it a woman's touch…and stocked the freezer with ready-to heat homemade meals.

What…Jonny had gotten used to her cooking…

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Kelly walked into the kitchen just as the house phone rang.

Alyssa made a quick grab for it so it wouldn't wake the boys.

"Hello? Yes…this is she…"

Kelly watched her face turn pale as she listened to whoever was on the other end of the line.

"No…you can't be serious. When?" Alyssa said as her eyes started to fill up with tears.

But she drew a ragged breath and let it out slowly.

"I understand…I'll think about it. Thank you for telling me. Yes, I'll get back to you soon."

She clicked the button and ended the call.

By now Kelly was thoroughly alarmed. Who had just called? And what had they sad to upset his wife so badly?"

Alyssa looked up at him and flew into his arms.

He pulled her close and held her as tight as he could.

She was trembling, and sobbing against his chest.

"Lyssa? Lyssa…Baby…what is it? Who was that on the phone?"

But she continued to cry…and her tiny body shook as she tried desperately to get back in control.

"It's okay, Babe…" he whispered to her as he held her. "It's okay…I've got you…it's all right…"

Finally…after what seemed like an eternity…she began to calm down.

Kelly took a deep breath himself…and led Alyssa to the kitchen table. He pulled out a chair for her, and then went to the cupboard for a glass. He went to the fridge and got her a glass of ice water…and brought it back to the table. Then he sat down beside her and reached for her hand.

"Now…what happened? Who was on the phone?" he asked.

Alyssa took a sip of water and a couple breaths…bracing herself for what she had to tell him.

"That was Katrina…" she began.

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Katrina McColm was the assistant State's Attorney who had prosecuted Bradley Paul…the man who'd nearly beat Alyssa to death almost four years ago.

The case had finally gone to trial a couple months after he and Lyssa had gotten married. Katrina was about three years out of law school and probably the most junior person in the office. She had inherited the case from another assistant…who'd inherited it from someone else.

Bradley Paul had gone through four attorneys himself. Apparently they all kept trying to arrange a plea bargain…and Paul would settle for nothing short of total vindication. He didn't want to do even one day of time for the crimes he was charged with.

And Kelly had been skeptical when Alyssa had told him she was to meet with the new prosecutor assigned to the case. He desperately wanted to close this chapter of their lives…so they could enjoy their little time as newlyweds and prepare for the twins arrival. But he had taken his wife downtown for the meeting.

And he left with a different mindset. For the first time, it seemed this woman was on the same page as he and Alyssa were. She said that there would be no plea bargaining…she was prepared to try this case and she was going for the maximum sentence allowed by the law. If everything went their way, Bradley Paul would spend the next twenty-five years behind bars.

Kelly had asked her how she could be sure…and the soft-spoken, young African-American woman had looked him right in the eyes. He could see the fire blazing in hers as she told him that when she was a little girl she had to watch her mother get beaten up by her then boyfriend on a regular basis…and she had no use for _any_ man (and she was using the word in its loosest possible connotation) who raised his hand to a woman.

He had to give her points for determination…but he hoped she could deliver what she promised.

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The trial had begun in early September…the day after Labor day. Kelly had sat through almost every minute of it with Alyssa's brothers Joey and Nicky on either side of him…just in case he had another outburst like he'd had at the scumbag's bail hearing.

Katrina had looked almost demure in her light grey suit with a pale pink blouse beneath her jacket. She wore plain black pumps that made her nearly six feet tall…but she moved with the lithe grace of a dancer. Her hair fell in waves over her shoulders…and she wore just a touch of make-up…enough to give her a bit of polish.

She was all business when she presented her case…articulately summing up what she planned to do in her opening statements. She held a single note card in one hand…but she never needed to look at it. She looked each one of her jurors in the eye as she spoke and when she finished Kelly felt like he should stand up and applaud.

She brought in her first witness…Officer Boone, the first on scene…and then Dawson, Shay and Casey all testified. Each described the scene as they'd found it…and Katrina was able to elicit their answers in such a way that it conveyed the horror…while at the same time keeping it professional.

Hallie would have testified next…but she was gone. She had been murdered right before the clinic she had been working at was set on fire.

But Dr. Padkin, the trauma surgeon who had worked for eight straight hours to save Alyssa's life that night, painted a grisly picture. And there _were_ pictures…taken in the ER before the surgery.

Kelly had to leave at that point. He'd seen just a glimpse of Lyssa as they rushed her into surgery that night and it was enough to still give him nightmares. He didn't need to see it blown up into 8x10" glossies.

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The next day he'd sat outside the court room with Alyssa…waiting with her till she was called to testify. As she was sworn in, he had slid into a seat beside Joey…and he gripped the end of the bench nervously.

Katrina had kept herself positioned between Alyssa and Bradley Paul's line of sight. She was not going to give that bastard even a ghost of a chance to lock eyes with Alyssa and intimidate her. And Paul was getting frustrated…he wanted to stare Alyssa down…to make her uncomfortable. But he never got so much as a glimpse of her until she had finished her testimony.

The prosecutor had gently led Alyssa through meeting Paul…and their first few dates. Alyssa told how he'd become so possessive right away…accusing her of flirting with a man when all she'd said was 'excuse me' on her way to the restroom. She led her through the messy break-up and the stalking, how her car had been vandalized and she thought it had been Brad…and how she had changed jobs and moved apartments to try to get him out of her life.

And then…in halting tones…punctuated by more than a few tears…Alyssa had described the night Bradley Paul had kicked in the door to her apartment, how he'd punched her and kicked her, and when she tried to get out the door he'd kicked her down three flights of stairs. And finally how he'd beat her head against the tile floor in the vestibule of her building until she had lost consciousness.

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After her testimony, Alyssa had stepped off the stand, emotionally spent …and Bradley Paul finally had his glimpse of her. And her nearly six months along baby bump.

Kelly could have sworn he'd heard Paul gasp at the sight.

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The defense didn't have a prayer…and when Paul himself took the stand…it was all over. Katrina had managed to provoke him on her cross-examination…so he exploded in rage right there in the courtroom. His lawyer had tried to object…the only problem was that there was no legal point to object _to_. What had set him off was a roll of her eyes, and a look. Nothing that could be transcribed in the record…therefore it didn't happen.

The jury had deliberated less than four hours…and come back with a unanimous verdict. Guilty on all counts.

And a month later at the sentencing Katrina had delivered on her promise…the judge sentenced Bradley Paul to twenty-five years in prison. And he said that he regretted he couldn't give him more.

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"Lyssa…what did she say?" Kelly asked as he squeezed her hand.

Alyssa looked her husband in the eye.

"Brad is up for parole."

Kelly felt like someone had just punched him in the stomach…or kicked him in the balls.

"How? It's only been three years…" he stammered incredulously.

"With the time served before the trial it's closer to five…and apparently he's been a very good boy in jail…attending all his mandatory counseling sessions, teaching other inmates to read…whatever."

What a crock…

"Katrina wants me to speak at the parole hearing…" she said.

"Absolutely!" Kelly said. "Do it!"

His mind was reeling…maybe he could say something…or maybe Casey and Shay and Dawson could. After all, they were there.

"You've gotta do this, Baby." He said. "You need to remind them what he did…and why they _can't _let him out!"

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Three weeks later they caravanned down to Joliet for the hearing.

Casey was prepared to speak…and so was Leslie. Dawson was writing her remarks down in the car…and Mills was along for moral support. And Vargas was staying with the twins. The landscaping business was slow in the winter and he hadn't had any snow removal jobs since the blizzard at the beginning of the month.

The boys loved to see Uncle Jose`…and they got to do that a lot. Vargas was over for dinner at least three or four times a month. And he never missed a night that Alyssa made linguini with clam sauce.

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Katrina was waiting for them…and after shaking hands with Kelly and the team from Station 51, she gently put her arm Alyssa.

"You can do this Alyssa. I know you can." She said.

And Alyssa nodded.

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The hearing began with Bradley Paul's latest attorney…either number five or six…talking about the injustice of keeping his client locked up…the financial hardship his family was enduring…how this was his first offense…and what a model prisoner he was.

Then Katrina had stood…slowly drawing herself up to her full height…looking poised and confident as she went to the podium.

She recounted the brutal attack and stared Paul right in the eye for a moment before she reiterated that he had been found unanimously guilty by a jury of his peers and that the judge himself had felt the maximum sentence allowed by the law was not enough.

The panel had consented to hear from one of the concerned citizens in the gallery before the victim had her chance to speak.

Casey stood up and walked to the podium.

"My name is Matthew Casey, and I'm a Lieutenant with the Chicago Fire Department. I was there that night…as a first responder. I was in the vestibule of that apartment building and I saw the blood on the floor…and the walls. I watched as Paramedics Shay and Dawson turned the young woman at the bottom of the stairs…and I saw what he did to her. I've been a firefighter for close to twenty years now…and I've seen thousands of horrific injuries…and I can say without hesitation that this was one of the worst. I watched the medics fight to save her…I held the light while Paramedic Gabriella Dawson performed a surgical crich right then and there. I helped strap her to a board and get her in the ambulance. And then I had to go back to the firehouse and tell one of my colleagues and closest friends that his girlfriend had been brutally attacked…and might not survive."

And then Alyssa had to speak. She squeezed Kelly's hand before she stood up and went to the podium.

"I only went out with Bradley Paul six times over the course of about a month…and I knew what kind of man he was. And I knew this was not a person I wanted in my life. But he is in my life, whether I want it or not. The night he kicked in my door…I was certain I was going to die that night. I thought of all the things I hadn't done yet…the places I hadn't seen…of my family…and most of all, of the man I'd fallen in love with. I thought I'd never get the chance to get married…or have a family…and I got angry. I fought for my life that night…and for many, many nights after that. It's been nearly four years, and I still feel the effects of what he did to me. I lost partial use of my right arm…and I still suffer from debilitating headaches. I can't eat normally and have to fight to maintain my weight constantly."

She paused…and cast a glance back at Kelly.

"I did get to marry the love of my life…and we have a family…and wonderful, supportive friends. But Bradley Paul is still part of my life…and the lives of everyone who loves me. And I'm begging you…_we're_ begging you…keep this monster locked up."


	13. Chapter 13

**May 2017-Rescuing Squad 3**

They rolled up on scene…and Kelly took one look at the building and got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Thick black smoke was rolling out of the windows like bales of cotton.

They were gonna have to work fast…they didn't have much time.

Chief had already called it a level five…and reinforcements were on the way. But they had to clear the building…and there was a lot of real estate to cover.

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The apartment building was about a block long…with five floors. There were three separate entry ways on the front of the building alone and probably side and back entries as well. Lots of places for panicked, disoriented people to go.

Kelly met up with Casey and the two lieutenants quickly formulated a plan of attack. Their men gathered 'round waiting for their orders.

"Okay…teams of two…Mills and Hadley, go up to the top and go east to west." Kelly said as he pointed out along the building. "Me n' Capp'll go west to east."

"Copy that." Mills replied and he and Hadley strapped on their masks.

Kelly and Capp did the same and headed in as Casey was deploying his team in a similar fashion.

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They cleared the fifth floor quickly…and moved down to the fourth.

By now the second in companies had gotten into position…and Kelly and Capp moved down to three. But the situation was growing more and more tenuous by the second.

"Casey! Severide!" Chief's voice came over the radio. "Get your asses outta there! Now!"

They could hear the tension in his voice. It must be worse than they thought…'cause Chief had an uncanny knack for calling it right before disaster struck.

Kelly started rounding up all the men and wildly gestured for them to get down the stairs.

The men descended the stairs…Mills and Hadley in the lead, Severide and Capp bringing up the rear. The smoke was so thick you could barely see a foot in front of you…and Kelly instinctively hugged the wall…or in this case the rail.

He saw the reflective stripes on Mills' and Hadley's turnouts just in front of him…then suddenly they were gone!

Kelly's left arm shot up…just in time to keep Capp from stepping into the abyss.

The last three or four stairs were gone! And in their place was a gaping hole!

Severide listened for the PASS alarms…if one of the men was immobile for seventeen seconds, the alarm would go off. And after what seemed like a hell of a lot longer than seventeen seconds…he heard it.

They were gonna need their gear to get down into that hole. Kelly pulled Capp right behind him and he skirted the edge of it so he could get in a better position.

And no sooner had they stepped off the staircase…even more of it went down…including the steps where they had been standing just a second ago!

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Severide got into his harness in record time and Casey and his team lowered Kelly and Capp down. As he surveyed the scene he knew they were gonna need all hands on deck. Mills and Hadley were both pinned beneath a load of debris…

"Casey! Get down here!" He hollered out.

And Severide and Capp got busy pulling beams and chunks of plaster off their fallen brothers.

Casey dropped down into the hole followed by Cruz and Hermann. They joined in the efforts to clear the rubble.

Kelly positioned himself to lever a beam underneath another that was lying across Mills' legs. He got the beam into place and wiggled his left shoulder beneath it…and raised himself into a standing position, pushing with all his might to raise the beam.

He felt something pop in his right knee and he collapsed as his leg wouldn't support his weight. The pain was unreal…but he couldn't stop. He fought his way back to his feet and he planted his foot firmly.

The knee felt like it could go again at any second…but he said a quick prayer to whichever Deities were listening. And slowly but surely the beam rose…just enough for Casey and Cruz to reach down and pull Mills from underneath the pile.

"AAAAHHHH!" Mills screamed as the men moved him.

Pete couldn't even tell where the pain was coming from…his legs…his back…all he knew was he hurt.

Casey and Cruz secured a line around Mills and Mouch and Otis and a couple guys from Station 37 started to hoist the injured man out of the hole. Once they got him topside two grabbed him and ran him out to the waiting ambulance.

Casey and Cruz turned back to help Severide, Capp and Hermann continue to try and free Hadley.

Kelly and Capp worked together to move a beam…but Kelly fell as his knee gave out again. The beam landed on Capp's right arm…and he roared in pain.

Casey and Cruz took over and another moment more and Hadley was free.

He got hauled up too…and taken out to an ambulance.

The guys from Truck 81 turned to the two injured Squad men…Capp was holding his arm tight against his body as Hermann and Cruz led him to where the line was dangling and helped him get the harness around his body.

And Casey reached out to give Kelly a hand up off the ground. He draped Severide's arm around his shoulders and he was pulled up next.

He and Casey were the last to come out of the building…and Casey helped him over to a gurney so the medics could put him in an ambulance.

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It was after midnight when Alyssa's phone rang…waking her from a sound sleep.

"Hello?" she said as she sat up in bed.

Someone calling at this hour could only mean something had happened…something bad.

She listened to the voice on the other end of the line.

"Is he okay? Yes…I'll be right there."

And she pushed aside the covers and reached for the light. She hit a number on her speed dial.

"Nicky? It's Lyssa. Listen…Kelly got hurt. I just got a call from the department."

She paused.

"No…I don't know anything…other than I need to get down to Lakeshore. Can you come over and stay with Andy and Jesse?" she said. "Thanks…"

Alyssa ended the call and hurriedly grabbed clothes from the dresser drawers and started pulling them on.

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The Ambulance bay doors at Lakeshore's ER might as well have been propped open. Half a dozen gurneys carrying injured firefighters rolled in one right after another.

They rushed Kelly into a treatment room…and he could see Capp parked in an out of the way corner in the hall. two nurses were peeling his turnout coat carefully off his injured arm.

Once they had kicked the wheel stops into place two nurses and two PCT's began to get Severide out of his gear.

He screamed in pain as they pulled his boots and his turnout pants off. Then one of the nurses grabbed a scissor.

"Wait!" Kelly said. "You don't have to cut…"

It wasn't easy, but he managed to get out of his cargo pants and t-shirt without having them sliced down the seams. Once he was in a gown he lay back to pull himself together.

Then he sat up suddenly.

"I need to call my wife." He said.

He knew the department wouldn't tell Alyssa anything…other than he had been injured and taken to the hospital. She would have no idea what his condition was, if he was burned…nothing.

"The CFD'll make the notifications…" one nurse said. "You don't need to worry."

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Alyssa flew to the hospital like a bat out of hell…praying all the while…not knowing what she'd find. All the dispatcher had said was that Kelly was injured…didn't say how badly, didn't say what was wrong…nothing. She had no idea if her husband was burned or unconscious or had a broken bone or what.

When she arrived in the ER the clerk at the desk directed her to a treatment room. There she saw Kelly…looking perfectly healthy…except for his right leg propped up on two pillows with an ice bag covering his knee.

She breathed a sigh of relief…and sent up a prayer of thanks that God had heard her.

"Kelly? Baby? Are you okay?" she asked as she approached her husband.

Now it was his turn to be relieved…and he reached out to take Alyssa's hand and pull her close to his side. He had never been so glad to see her…well that wasn't true…probably the one time he had been even more happy to see her walk through a door was the time she left him for two days…and came back.

But now he felt her hand, softly stroking his face…and he knew it would all be okay.

She leaned over to kiss his lips gently.

"Are you okay?" she asked again.

He nodded slowly.

"It was bad, Lyssa…" he began. "Mills and Hadley fell through the floor…me 'n Capp barely got out of the way and the whole thing fell in right on top of 'em…"

He was worried about his men…Alyssa could tell. He wouldn't rest easy till he knew they were okay.

"Okay…" she whispered as she ran her fingers through his hair. "It's okay…"

Kelly just held tightly to her hand.

"We were trying to get 'em out…and I felt something pop in my knee…and Capp had this beam fall on his arm…

"It's okay…" she told him again.

Her heart hurt for him…and she desperately wished she knew what to say to calm him.

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There was a knock on the door and they looked up to see Leslie standing there.

"Hey…how are you doin'?" she asked.

"What's goin' on out there? How're Mills and Hadley…and Capp?"

Shay came into the room…

"They're gonna be okay." She said. "Mills has fractures in both legs…Hadley has a broken femur and some broken ribs…Capp's arm's broken in two places. Tripp, Wilde and Fogarty from Engine were brought in too."

Jeez…_seven_ guys from the house? Kelly closed his eyes tight and just hoped he'd wake up from this bad dream.

"Kelly?" Lyssa said softly. "What've the doctors said about you?"

He swallowed hard.

"They think I tore my ACL…" he said.

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It was almost five when they finally got home…

Alyssa helped Kelly from the car and up the back steps.

Nicky was asleep on the living room couch…and Lyssa crossed the room to gently shake him awake.

"Nicky? Nick…we're home."

Her brother blinked his eyes.

"Everything okay?" he asked once he got his bearings.

"Yeah…Kelly's home…he hurt his knee." She told him.

Nicky hauled himself up off the couch and made his way to the dining room and the foot of the stairs where Kelly was waiting for Alyssa to help him.

He knew how to do the stairs…but he just wanted his wife beside him.

The two men looked each other up and down.

Kelly looked absolutely exhausted.

"Okay…I'll get outta here." Nick said. "You just holler if you need anything in the morning. I don't have to work till midnight tomorrow, so I'll be around."

"Thank-you…" Alyssa said as she hugged her big brother. "Thanks for runnin' over here…"

"No problem…you can make me some meat sauce to thank me…"

His Irish wife still hadn't gotten the hang of Italian cooking, even after thirteen years…yet another reason he was so thankful his sister and brother-in-law lived right across the street.

"Deal…" Lyssa told him.

She let him out the front door and closed and locked it behind him.

Then she turned to Kelly. And she came to his side to help him up the steps.

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In their room she helped him out of his dirty clothes and into bed and went to grab a couple of extra pillows from the linen closet. She carefully slipped them under his leg and then held his hand till he settled back.

"Do you need anything else, Baby?" she asked.

He shook his head. He just needed her to get into bed and hold him.

She circled around to her side and climbed in. She laid her head on Kelly's shoulder…and wrapped her arms around him.

She was so glad to have him home…lying beside her…more or less in one piece.

And Kelly was thinking the exact same thing.

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They had barely closed their eyes…when sunlight poured through the shutters…and little voices drifted in from down the hall.

Kelly had been replaying every moment of the fire in his head…coming down the staircase…Mills and Hadley disappearing in front of him.

And Alyssa kept seeing images of all the things that _could_ have happened to her husband.

She sighed as she slowly pulled herself up to a sitting position.

"I'd better go in there…" she said…before things got too far out of hand. "Do you me to keep 'em downstairs? So you can get some rest?"

Kelly shook his head 'no'. He needed to see his boys…to hug them.

"Bring 'em in here…I just want to be with my family right now."

Alyssa leaned over and kissed him.

Then she made her way down the hall and let herself into the twins room.

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The boys were sitting on Andy's bed…chattering back and forth…saying something only the other could understand.

"Mommy!" Jesse said happily.

Alyssa crossed the floor to the bed and gathered her sons into her arms.

"My big boys…" she said as she kissed Jesse on top of his head…then did the same to Andy.

"Daddy coming home!" Andy said as he clapped his hands.

He knew that if Daddy went to work, he'd come home after breakfast the next day…

"Actually…Daddy came home early." Alyssa told them. "He got hurt at work..."

"Fire hurt Daddy?" Jesse asked, his little lip trembling.

He meant 'did Daddy get burned?'…he just didn't know the word.

"No…no, no…" Alyssa said right away. "Daddy fell down and hurt his leg. He went to the hospital…and the doctor put a big bandage on it. But he's gonna have to stay home for a while…he's not gonna be able to walk on it for a long time."

The boys looked at one another…

"C'mon guys…Daddy wants to see you."

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They inched down the hallway…nervous about what they'd see.

Alyssa herded the twins into her room…where Kelly was waiting.

"Careful…" Alyssa cautioned as she helped the boys up onto the bed.

Kelly held out his arms to his sons and pulled them in to hug them tight.

It was all going to be okay…he had his family with him…and really…what more did he need? The rest would all work itself out.

Alyssa climbed up onto the bed with her boys…all three of them…and wrapped her arms around them.


	14. Chapter 14

**A few days later…Getting it Right**

Benny Severide walked into the diner…he was meeting a group of his old friends for lunch.

That was the problem with living all the way out in Woodstock. In some ways it was perfect…none of the places he used to go…not nearly so many bittersweet reminders of the years he had spent with the department. It had all changed so much…sometimes he didn't even recognize it anymore.

Kelly told him nothing had changed…they just had better gear. But he was wrong. The men were different…at least some of them. Some of them were still a bunch of kids living in their parent's basements…playing at being firefighters. At least that's the way Benny saw it sometimes.

But for all his need to escape…he missed his old buddies. Guys he'd eaten with…worked with…seen through marriages, babies being born, divorces…and in some cases seen it all come full circle. He wished he could just pick up the phone and say 'let's grab a beer'…without having to be in the damn car for an hour.

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He spotted his guys…and made his way to the table.

Dick Melvin had the paper folded beside his place…and Benny could see that it was open to the item on the apartment fire a few days ago.

It was a big deal…a huge building destroyed…hundreds of people displaced…

Two firefighters dead…and fifteen more injured.

Not a good day for the CFD.

"Hey…" Benny said as he pulled out a chair.

There were greetings all around.

"Did you see this?" Melvin asked as he handed Benny the paper.

"Yeah…heard about it on the news…" Benny replied as he glanced at the color pictures.

"51 got beat up pretty bad on this one." Gene Boland said as he reached for his coffee cup.

"What do you mean?"

Benny hadn't heard anything about which companies were involved…

"You didn't hear?" Boland asked. "Seven of the injured came outta 51…."

"Took out the whole rescue squad, I heard…" Melvin commented.

Benny stood up and bolted from the restaurant.

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He got into his car…his head was spinning.

Why hadn't anyone called him?

He tried to collect his thoughts…and decided to go to Kelly's house.

If Kelly were in the hospital…or worse…he _surely_ would have heard something.

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At home Alyssa took a moment to gather her thoughts.

It had been a long couple of days…and an even longer couple of nights.

Since Kelly had been hurt, taking care of him…and the twins…she was running on fumes.

Kelly had been hurt before…but he was worrying about his men more than anything else. His whole squad was injured…Mills and Hadley were in the hospital…Capp was gonna have surgery in the next day or two.

And Kelly was supposed to see a surgeon tomorrow…

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The door bell rang…pulling her back to the present.

She went to answer it only to find her father-in-law standing on her porch looking pale as a ghost.

"Is Kelly okay?" Benny blurted out…no 'hello', no nothing.

Alyssa nodded tiredly.

"He's okay…he hurt his knee."

Benny breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"Why didn't you call me?" he demanded.

But Alyssa just looked at him. And Benny saw how tired she was…the dark circles beneath her eyes…

He was immediately contrite. He hadn't been around in more than six months…despite Alyssa's invitations for Thanksgiving and Christmas…and Easter…

Why should he have been the first call on her list?

"Kelly's out on the porch with the boys." She said as she stepped aside to let Benny pass.

Slowly…a little unsure, Benny made his way through the kitchen out to the four seasons room that served as Andy and Jesse's playroom.

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Kelly was lying on the couch watching his sons play with their firehouse. He couldn't help but smile as they chattered back and forth. It was like music to his ears.

Then he saw someone come through the door.

"Pop…" he said. "Hey guys…look who's here?"

The twins looked up…smiled…then popped to their feet and ran to hug Benny's legs.

"Gam-pa!" they both shouted.

Benny looked down at the two little boys who lookedexactly like_ his_ little boy…and he couldn't help but smile.

"Hey, boys…"

"Play with us?" Andy said.

"Yeah…play?" Jesse echoed.

"Maybe later…I need to talk to your dad first…okay?"

He crossed the room to his son.

Kelly motioned for him to take a seat.

"What happened?" he asked, once he was settled.

"Blew out my knee…"

Benny raised his eyebrows expectantly. He wanted the whole story.

"Stairs collapsed…Mills and Hadley went down with em…we had to dig 'em out. They were under a bunch of wood n' plaster…and I twisted my knee somewhere in all of it."

It could happen to anyone.

"What about the others?" Benny asked.

Kelly sighed.

"Mills has two broken legs…Hadley broke his leg and a couple ribs…Capp broke his arm. And three guys from Engine…they got banged up pretty good too."

"So what happens now?" Benny wanted to know.

"I have to go see this surgeon tomorrow…I'll find out what the whole story is then. I'm sure they gotta do a bunch more things. It was pretty hectic in the ER."

He'd resigned himself that he'd probably need surgery…and that he'd be out for a while…the good news was guys had knee surgery all the time…being a firefighter was tough on your body and the department didn't even bat an eye on knees and shoulders.

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Alyssa came out with two color coded plates…red for Andy, blue for Jesse. She set them down on the coffee table in front of Kelly and went to get their placemats and drinks.

"Hey…guys?" Kelly said. "Go wash your hands. It's time for lunch."

The boys ran into the kitchen…

Through the "window"…actually through the pass through…he saw Alyssa lift Andy to the sink to wash up…then Jesse.

The boys came running back to the playroom and took their chairs…red for Andy, blue for Jesse…to the table and sat down.

Benny looked at their plates…meat and cheese rolled up into little bundles…potato chips, grapes and cantaloupe…

Alyssa came back out.

"I'll have your lunch in a few minutes, Baby…"

Then she turned to her father-in-law.

"You want a sandwich, Benny? We have ham, turkey or roast beef."

"Turkey would be great." Benny answered.

He just realized he was starving.

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The boys were chattering up a storm again…and Kelly watched them with a smile on his face.

Benny tried to remember what Kelly had been like at two and a half. He didn't think he was as talkative as the twins…but truth be told…Benny wasn't around that much. When he'd come home after shift to his wife and son…the two bedroom apartment on the North side felt like a prison. He lived for the job…for the camaraderie with the men…the action…the danger. After that, everything else felt like a letdown.

Honestly…Maggie had raised Kelly all by herself.

She was beautiful and fun and lively…but when they got married because Kelly was on the way, she'd changed. Maggie had come from a very traditional Irish Catholic family…where her mom had doted on Maggie and her twin sister Kathleen. Her dad had driven a city bus…and they had dinner together as a family every night…went to church together every Sunday…and that was what she saw for her family. Unfortunately, her new husband didn't share that vision.

But he missed her…he realized too late how good he had it. And he'd been trying to recapture that every since. He just never got close.

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Lyssa came back with the sandwiches and set them on the table. Then she circled around to Kelly's side.

"You want help?" she asked him softly.

Kelly nodded, and then braced himself to sit up.

Alyssa helped to support his leg as he pulled himself up, and then rearranged the pillows it was resting on.

She knelt down beside the couch and just rubbed Kelly's shoulder for a minute.

Benny couldn't make out what she was saying to him…but there was no hiding the tenderness in her voice.

And there was no denying the love in Kelly's eyes when he looked at her.


	15. Chapter 15

**And a few days after that…Brothers**

Vargas came by early Saturday morning to cut Severide's lawn.

It helped to have a buddy in the landscaping business…especially when you were gonna be laid up for the whole summer.

Jose'd finished his work and he and Kelly were sitting out in the yard with glasses of iced tea. (Alyssa had a thing about beers before noon.) And they were watching Andy and Jesse play on their fire truck.

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Casey pulled his truck into Kelly's drive and got out.

"Casey…pull up a chair." Kelly said.

Matt grabbed a chair from the open garage and came to join them.

"Thought I'd come over and cut the lawn…" he said, looking around at the freshly mowed yard.

"Gotta move a lot faster than that, Lieutenant." Vargas told him.

"Sorry…I was on shift till nine…"

There was a slightly uncomfortable silence…then Kelly spoke up.

"So what's goin' on at the house?" He asked.

Casey just shook his head.

"It's weird…we got so many relievers…I'm about ready to put name tags on 'em. By the way…Eric Whaley's covering for you." He told Kelly.

Severide just nodded…at least Squad 3 was in good hands…then he remembered the whole Squad was out.

He took another drink of his tea…and wished desperately he wasn't taking pain killers so he _could_ have a beer.

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Vargas had asked Casey how everyone was doing…and that snapped Kelly back to the present.

"Mills is still in the hospital…they're trying to get him off the IV pain meds…but he's got like…five or six fractures in each leg…pelvic fractures…two vertebrae in his lower back…" Casey said. "Dawson's taken a leave of absence to be with him."

But before he could fill them in on Capp and Hadley's conditions, a loud commotion started over by the fire truck.

"Hey!" Kelly called out. "You two play nice…or you'll have to go in the house."

Yeah…that worked.

"I'll handle it…" Casey said as he got to his feet.

He headed over to sort out whatever was going on in the toy he had built for his godsons.

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Vargas turned to Kelly.

"And what about you, Lieutenant?" he asked.

Kelly shrugged.

"It's about what I expected…completely shredded my ACL…"

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Casey came back over to his chair…head hanging in shame.

"What?" Kelly asked.

And Matt just shook his head.

"Andy didn't want to let Jesse drive…so I told Jesse the Lieutenant always sits in the passenger seat. That's where I sit…and that's where Dad sits…"

"And now they're fighting over the passenger seat." Kelly said, with a good-natured roll of his eyes.

The three men shook their heads and chuckled as they watched the two little boys.

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"So, Lieutenant…you were saying?" Vargas asked.

"I had an MRI the other day…" Kelly said, getting back to the story. "My ACL's in two pieces…complete tear. And I tore the medial meniscus. There's also a small tear to the collateral ligament. That's the one right here…"

He indicated to the inside of the knee.

"It's a mess…" he said.

"And when's it gonna get cleaned up?" Casey asked.

"I'm having surgery in a couple weeks." Severide told them. "July 7th."


	16. Chapter 16

**July 7, 2017—The Campout**

Kelly and Alyssa had to be at the hospital by six in the morning.

As she helped him undress and get into a hospital gown…Kelly was glad he hadn't been able to eat since midnight. His stomach was churning like a washing machine.

Lyssa unwrapped the ACE bandages from his leg and carefully propped it up on a couple of pillows after she had helped him into bed.

She gently rubbed her hands up and down his arms…just trying to get him to relax. But all the things that usually worked seemed to be having no effect whatsoever right now.

"Baby…it's gonna be okay." She whispered. "You're gonna be okay."

He knew that…but he was still nervous all the same.

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After shift Casey went straight to Severide's.

He was on munchkin patrol for the next two days.

The team at Station 51 was really stretched to the limit…with so many men on the DL. But Tripp…one of the Engine guys was back in action…and Fogarty was due back in another week or so. Hadley was up and around…he'd be starting rehab in a few more weeks, once he got his cast off.

Capp was touch and go. The doctors had put a titanium rod in his forearm…and they would probably have to take it out at some point.

Mills was finally out of the hospital…and he was at home with Gabby. But he spent most of his days in bed. He had casts on both legs and it was all he could do to get up to the bedside commode. He was able to transfer to a wheelchair for a short period of time…but with his back, he could only sit up for an hour…two tops.

Shay was burning the candle at both ends…trying to help her partner…and trying to be there for her best friend.

Matt strode up to the front door and rang the bell…which was answered a minute later by a very harried looking Jonny DiNardo.

"Thank God…the changing of the guard." Jonny said.

"Yes…relief is here…" Casey said with a grin.

"Lyssa packed all their stuff last night…" Jonny said, pointing to the red and blue backpacks sitting by the door. "So they're all yours…I've got about an hour and a half to get back to Lincolnshire…"

He turned to the boys…and knelt down to give them both a hug.

"You guys have an awesome time with Uncle Matt…Uncle Jonny's got to go to rehearsal now. But I'll come back on the weekend and you can tell me all about your sleepover…okay?"

He hugged both boys tight.

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Casey put both car seats in the car he'd borrowed from Mills…he wasn't gonna be driving for a while…and you couldn't put two kids in the front seat of a pick-up truck.

Once everyone was ready for takeoff Matt jumped behind the wheel and soon they were headed for Lincoln Park Zoo.

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Alyssa tried to concentrate on her book…but she'd just read the same paragraph for the fifth or sixth time…and she had no idea what it said. She slammed it shut and stuck it back into her shoulder bag.

She checked her phone again…it was ten minutes later than the last time she'd checked. What was taking so long? Dr. Burda, the orthopedic surgeon, had said forty-five minutes to an hour…now it was an hour and forty minutes.

Finally…finally, she heard the nurse call her name.

"Mrs. Severide? You can go back to post op now."

No one had to ask her twice…

Kelly was still pretty out of it…he had a little trouble focusing when Alyssa came to his side…but just the feel of her hand in his…that was what he needed.

"You okay, Baby?" she asked as she gently ran her fingers through his hair.

His throat was sore…and he wanted a drink of water. But his stomach felt queasy…so that was probably not a real good idea.

He nodded…even though he was a bit unsure.

"I talked to Jonny…the boys were fine this morning…and Matt picked them up right after shift.

He nodded again…then he closed his eyes…and drifted back to sleep.

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"Look guys…tigers!" Casey said as he pointed to the cats lounging on the rocks. "Should we count them?"

"Tigger!" Jesse clapped his hands.

He loved Winnie the Pooh…and everyone else in the Hundred Acre Woods. Especially when he could make Pooh ride in the fire truck.

"I don't know, Jess. He doesn't look very bouncey, pouncey to me…"

Jesse looked up at his Uncle Matt.

"Quiet time!" he said…like the answer was obvious.

"Oh! Of course it's quiet time! Even Tiggers need to rest. Why didn't I think of that?"

Jesse smiled.

Andy pulled on Casey's shirt.

"See yi-ons? See Simba?" he asked.

"Sure, Andy…I think Simba's right next door here."

And the three moved on to the lion enclosure.

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Kelly threw up for the third time.

The morphine they were giving him for the pain just hit him like a ton of bricks. It was the first time he had taken it in years…not since he prescribed it for himself.

Alyssa helped guide him back against the pillows…then she wiped his face with a cool cloth.

"This isn't working…" he said.

"The nurse went to page Dr. Burda…" Alyssa said to him. "Just try to relax…nice, slow, deep breaths…"

"Lyssa…it still hurts."

"I know…I know it does." She whispered. "I wish there was something more I could do, Baby."

He knew. He knew she was hurting right along with him.

Kelly reached for her hand.

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Casey carried two hot, sweaty, sleeping little boys into the house.

God…the AC felt wonderful!

He carried them to his bedroom and managed to lay them on the bed. They barely stirred as he repositioned them…took their shoes off…the slipped off his own and lay down next to them.

And in about two minutes all three of them were sleeping.

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It took two more meds…and a bunch more anti-nausea medicine…and Kelly was finally able to relax. And enjoy a Popsicle.

And it was the best Popsicle he'd ever had.

Dr. Burda and his assistant had come to see him…and changed his pain regimen…so now he was getting smaller doses of meds at shorter intervals. And they were gonna admit him over night.

Alyssa positioned the recliner beside his bed…ready to camp out for the night.

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After a nap, everyone was refreshed…

And Casey put the two sweaty, grubby boys in the bathtub.

And soon he was wetter than either one of the twins.

But once the mess was cleaned up…he put Andy in his little red pj's…and Jesse in his blue ones…and got into shorts and a t-shirt himself.

He led the twins out to the family room where he built a little fire in the fireplace.

In the kitchen he cooked hot dogs on the stove…to guarantee they were cooked. Alyssa would kill him if either of the boys got sick. Then he took the hot dogs, buns, ketchup and mustard back to the fire…and "cooked" them again on wire coat hangers that he'd straightened out.

"What we doing?" Jesse asked.

"We're camping…" Casey told him.

Andy didn't care what they called it…there was food involved…and it wasn't getting to his tummy fast enough.

"Hot dog!" he said insistently.

Casey chuckled as he pulled the hot dogs out of the fireplace and fixed the boys plates.

"Comin' right up, Andy. Comin' right up."

While the boys were munching on their hot dogs and potato chips Matt was rigging up a "tent" out of a sheet and a laundry rack and spreading out pillows and blankets on the floor.

"Sit tight, guys…" he said. "Uncle Matt's gotta get something."

And he went to the hall closet and reached up onto the top shelf. He pulled down a box and took out a stuffed turtle…he had bought it back when Kelly and Alyssa had first announced that they were having the twins. Hallie used to get this thing for all her friends when they had babies…so Matt did the same.

The problem was he forgot he had it.

But he found it the other day when he was cleaning out another closet…and an idea began to take shape.

He turned out the overhead light and set Mr. Turtle down in the center of the floor. And when he flipped the switch…Mr. Turtle's back lit up and dozens of "stars" twinkled across the high domed ceiling.

"Look guys…we're gonna sleep under the stars tonight." He said.

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And finally…his favorite part…introducing his godsons to a delicacy like no other….S'Mores. He toasted marshmallows over the fire…then made the little sandwiches.

After they had cooled a little bit, he handed one to Andy…who didn't need any further instruction. He devoured it in about three or four bites.

Jesse turned his over in his hands…checking it out from every angle.

He looked up at Matt quizzically.

"You eat it, Jesse…" Matt said. "Look…"

He made himself a sandwich…

"More!" Andy said. "More…"

Casey was about to take a bite…

"More!" Andy said again. "Peas?"

Matt's heart melted at the sight of big blue eyes…and he handed the S'More over to his godson.

"Since you said 'please'…"

He never did get his S'Mores…after the boys had about three each, they were rubbing their eyes. Casey wiped little hands and little faces with a washcloth…then he tucked them in under the 'tent', and lay down beside Andy and Jesse to tell them a story.

He didn't even get to the third little pig telling the big bad wolf to go ahead and blow the house down before both the boys were fast asleep.

And Matt hauled himself up off the floor and staggered over to the couch…where he collapsed.


	17. Chapter 17

**August 2017- School Days**

"Are you sure about this, Alyssa?" Kelly asked. "Aren't they a little young for preschool?"

The Severides made their way into St. Pasqual's Early Childhood Center for Andy and Jesse's appointment with the director and the teachers.

"They need to start playing with other kids…someone beside each other." She said.

"They do play with other kids…they play with Connor…and Hermann's little guy…"

Kelly just wasn't sure about the whole preschool idea. The boys were only two and a half…

"We need to expose them to more than just the family, Kelly." Alyssa told him. "And yes, they are a little young…but they're toilet trained, they know their alphabet, they know their colors, they can count to twenty…"

They also knew every different kind of fire truck there was…and what equipment was on each one.

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Alyssa held open the door and Kelly herded the boys in front of him before he hobbled inside himself.

It had been a little more than a month since his surgery…but he still had a couple weeks till he could start rehab. And it had been a long, hot summer. There were so many things he wanted to do with the boys…but all that was on hold. The trips to the beach…were now a sprinkler and a wading pool in the back yard. The zoo had to wait…and the carnivals and street fests…maybe next year.

The family went down the few steps to the basement classrooms. Alyssa kept a close eye on the twins as she stayed beside Kelly…and then once he had found his balance at the bottom of the stairs they headed to Room 2 for their appointment.

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Kelly forgot how little everything was…the tables the chairs, the cubbies along the walls.

Andy and Jesse hung back, close to their dad.

"It's okay, guys…" he said. "You're just gonna play for a while…Mommy and Daddy'll be here the whole time.

One of the two teachers came over to introduce herself.

Kelly judged her to be about his own age…she was tall…as tall as he was…and she had auburn hair pulled back in a pony tail.

She knelt down to the twins' level.

"Hi…I'm Mrs. Beatty. You must be Andy and Jesse…" she said. "Which one is Andy?"

Andy pointed to himself…and Jesse pointed to his brother.

Mrs. Beatty smiled.

"So that makes you Jesse…" she said.

Both boys nodded.

"Would you like to play with some of our toys?" she asked.

The twins looked up at Kelly and Alyssa…as if to say 'is it okay?'.

"Go on, guys…"Kelly said. "Mommy and I'll be right over here."

Mrs. Beatty took the twins off to play…so she and her co-teacher could get a sense of them. They would be the youngest in the class…but first the teachers needed to establish whether or not it would be a good fit.

Another woman introduced herself.

"Mr. and Mrs. Severide? I'm Bridget Monahan…director of St. Pasqual's Early Childhood program."

She held out her hand…and Kelly then Alyssa shook it.

"Why don't we sit down and talk?"

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Ms. Monahan led them over to a card table set up off to the side of the room.

Kelly breathed a sigh of relief that he didn't have to try and get down into those tiny chairs. He might as well be sitting on the floor.

Once he was settled Alyssa took his crutches and set them out of the way.

"Are you all right, Mr. Severide?" Ms. Monahan asked.

"You can call me Kelly…" he told her. "And I had knee surgery last month…"

The director nodded.

"Why don't we start by you telling me a bit about your family? What do you do?" she asked.

"I'm a Lieutenant with the CFD…" Kelly answered.

"And I'm home with the boys…" Alyssa added.

Ms Monahan nodded.

"Tell me about Andy and Jesse." She said.

She couldn't help but notice the smiles that crossed both Alyssa and Kelly's faces.

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Several minutes later Mrs. Beatty joined them at the table.

"Well," she began… "I must say…they're very talkative."

Kelly chuckled a little.

"Both of them have highly developed speech and language skills. Much more so than I'd expect for their age. They opened up fairly quickly and were very engaged in what we were doing." She went on. "I will say I got a little dizzy following the conversation…"

Andy and Jesse tended to finish each other's sentences so talking to the two of them together was like refereeing a tennis match.

"How do you feel about them being in separate class rooms?" Ms. Monahan asked.

"We'd prefer they were together…at least this year." Alyssa said. "It would be their first time away from our family…and I think being together would make them more secure."

"You must have a huge family…" Mrs. Beatty noted. "I couldn't keep track of all the aunts and uncles the boys mentioned.

Kelly and Alyssa both smiled.

"We do have a big family…" Alyssa started. "I have five brothers…and one lives right across the street from us, so Andy and Jesse see their cousins almost every day. In fact Connor's coming to school this fall…Connor Boungiovanni."

Mrs. Beatty and Ms. Monahan both nodded. They had screened Connor earlier that week. And they remembered Aiden from a couple years before.

"But most of the people the boys mentioned are probably the people I work with." Kelly cut in. "We're real close with everyone…and Andy and Jesse are kinda like everybody's kids."

"We have people over nearly every day…" Alyssa added. "For dinner…to take care of the boys…they're the only 'babysitters' we've ever had."

"That's wonderful." Ms. Monahan said. "You know what they say…it takes a village."

"Well, we sure got one." Kelly replied.


	18. Chapter 18

**Late Fall 2017-Rehab**

Kelly glanced up at the clock. He was almost halfway through his PT session and there was no sign of Mills.

He'd been in rehab for almost two months now…and he really felt like he was gaining some momentum. The first few weeks had been really…really rough, but it was getting better. He was gaining strength and mobility every session.

Mills, on the other hand, was still having a rough time. After three months in bed his muscles had atrophied and he was only able to tolerate a limited amount of activity. And the guy was getting frustrated.

It was good that they were in this together…to support each other and cheer each other on…or in some cases give the other a kick in the ass.

And that's what Kelly was about to do…as soon as Mills showed up.

But he never did.

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Alyssa came back to sit with Kelly as he iced his knee at the end of the session…just like she always did.

She leaned down to kiss him.

"How'd it go, Babe?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Okay…pretty good, actually." He answered.

He reached for her hand.

"Did you hear from Dawson? What's the deal? Mills didn't show."

Lyssa just shook her head.

"I called her…she said Pete wasn't up to it…that he was in a lot of pain."

Kelly frowned. Mills had been skipping sessions all week…and he missed a couple the week before. All this wasn't going to bode well with the department. If he didn't want to get put out to pasture before he was even thirty, he had to kick it in gear…fast.

"I wanna go over there…as soon as we're done. I gotta talk to him."

"We need to pick up the kids right after this…" Alyssa reminded him.

"I'll call Leslie…"

He was serious about needing to talk to Pete.

"They're all on shift, Kelly."

"Then I'll drop you and the kids off…" he was getting pissed at her. She didn't understand how important this was.

He felt her hand on his arm…and reluctantly met her eyes.

He hadn't been cleared to drive yet.

"We'll get the boys…then we'll figure something out. Okay?" she said quietly.

Kelly just nodded.

He knew she was trying to be supportive. But there were some things he just couldn't explain to her…some things only another firefighter would understand.

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They picked up Andy and Jesse from preschool…and headed for home.

During the three block drive the boys were chattering a mile a minute about what they had done that morning.

"And we finger-paint…with 'nilla puddin'!" Andy said.

"It was fun!" Jesse added. "Messy!"

Kelly was only half listening. He was trying to figure out who could watch the twins so Alyssa could drive him over to Mills and Dawson's place…

And the answer was taking in her mail as they pulled up to the house.

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While Alyssa got the boys out of their car seats, Kelly hauled himself out of the car and slowly made his way next door to the Garibaldi's house.

They hadn't watched the twins for a long time…not since the boys started moving around.

But desperate times called for desperate measures.

When he got back to his house Alyssa was just starting to get the boys lunch together.

"Lyssa…make that 'to go', will ya?"

She looked up at him.

"Go where?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Garibaldi are gonna watch 'em while we go over to Mills'."

"Kelly…"

"Alyssa…_please_…this is really important. I can't say it any other way."

Any argument she had to muster died on her lips. She knew better than to cross him when he felt this strongly about something.

She started packing turkey and cheese and fruit and crackers in an insulated bag.

In the meantime Kelly was gathering "quiet" toys into their bags…Matchbox fire trucks, coloring books, crayons, story books, puzzles…

Then he went back into the kitchen and picked up Andy and set him on the counter…then did the same with Jesse.

"Boys…I need you to listen to me." He said. "You're gonna go play at Mr. and Mrs. Garibaldi's house…and you need to be very, _very_ good. No running around, no rough housing…no screamin' like a couple wild animals. Do you understand Daddy?"

The boys both nodded.

Daddy had his "serious" face on.

"Daddy and Mommy need to go see what's goin' on with Uncle Pete…" Kelly said.

"Uncle Pete got broken…" Andy said, like he was reminding Kelly.

"I know, Buddy…but I need to make sure he's doing everything he needs to so he gets better."

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They took the twins next door…and Mrs. Garibaldi was so happy to have them.

She missed the days when she and Hank would watch them for Alyssa and Kelly. But once they started running around, it got hard.

Kelly took the boys into the downstairs bedroom…where Mr. Garibaldi had almost like a hospital room.

"Kelly…" the old man wheezed. "Put 'em up here…"

Kelly lifted the boys up onto the hospital bed then put their toys up there with them.

"Okay…you guys remember what we talked about. I want to hear a good report when I get back." He said.

Then he addressed Mr. Garibaldi.

"I really appreciate this…" he told him.

"No problem. You do what you gotta to take care of your man…" Mr. Garibaldi said with a wave of his hand.

Alyssa and Mrs. Garibaldi came back with lunch for everyone. They arranged it on the tray table, then Alyssa leaned down to kiss her sons.

"You guys be good, okay? Don't give Mr. and Mrs. Garibaldi any trouble."

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They drove in silence…

Kelly knew Alyssa wasn't happy with having to drop everything and go and do this…but it was the only way.

And Alyssa understood that Kelly felt responsible for getting Mills back on his feet…and she loved him for it…but at the same time, she didn't like the idea of leaving the boys with a couple in their nineties. There were just too many things that could go horribly wrong.

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Dawson let them in…and she and Alyssa went into the kitchen to make coffee…and wait for the fireworks.

Severide limped off to the back bedroom…

He opened the door. Mills was lying on the bed watching TV. Kelly snapped it off.

"What the hell?!" Mills demanded…then he realized who it was.

"Where the hell were you today?" Kelly snapped.

Mills just rolled his eyes. Where did the Lieutenant think he was? Out running the Chicago Marathon?

"You can't keep blowin' off PT, Mills…"

"I quit." Mills said quietly.

"What the hell do you mean 'you quit'?"

"I can't do it, Lieutenant. It's too hard."

"That's a load 'a bullshit…you gotta push through it."

"I can't!" Mills shouted.

Kelly was losing it…fast.

"You busted your ass to qualify for Squad…and you're just gonna throw it all away?" Just like that?"

"It's not 'just like that'!"

"Like hell! You think this is some goddamn picnic for me? You think I'm enjoying this?" he growled. "I'm right there sweatin' along with you!"

"Well, I'm not you!"

"You're damn right… 'cause I'm working my ass off to get back where I need to be!"

Severide stopped and took a breath.

"Look Mills…I've always backed you…wantin' to make the move…doin' what I could to push your training along…I know it took longer than you thought it would…but you're one of the youngest men in the department to make Squad…and you didn't get there by giving up…"

"Lieutenant…"

"I'm still talkin' here!"

Kelly ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"This isn't my first rodeo, Pete. I mean with getting injured…and rehab and all. I almost quit once…when I had the surgery on my neck. Actually, I wasn't gonna even have the surgery…I was just gonna cash it in. But my old man told me something…he said there's no replacing Squad. Only the best of the best make it…and there is nothing else after that." He said. "And he was right."

He looked Mills dead in the eye…and laid it all on the line.

"I can't promise you everything's gonna go the way we want it to. There's a chance that both of us'll go through all this and still not be able to go back. But it's not gonna be 'cause we didn't give it everything we got. You can't leave anything on the table."

Mills looked away.

"Mills." Kelly said. "I'm behind you every step of the way on this. The same as I was with you gettin' on Squad. But you've gotta kick it in here. This is your career…this is what you dreamed of since you were a kid. It's what you were born to do…same as I was."

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After they left Mill's and Dawson's place, Kelly stopped Alyssa on her way to the car.

He turned her to face him...so she could see that he meant what he was about to tell her.

"Thank-you Baby." he said. "I know you didn't wanna do this...but thank-you."

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I'm trying, Kelly...I really am."

He opened his arms to her and she stepped in to his embrace. Then he leaned down to kiss her.

"Let's go get our boys." he said.

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Alyssa came around to the passenger side to help Kelly out of the car. It had been a long day...and suddenly it all hit him.

Actually, both of them.

He threw his arm around her shoulders and together they made their way over to the Garibaldi's.

Mrs. Garibaldi opened the door before they could even knock. She must have been watching out the window.

The old woman put one finger to her lips and pointed to the bedroom.

Alyssa and Kelly looked at each other as they followed Mrs. Garibaldi into the room.

Mr. Garibaldi was fast asleep...with one of the twins' books open across his lap. And Andy and Jesse were curled up on either side of him.

"I don't know who tired who out." Mrs. Garibaldi said with a smile.

And Alyssa and Kelly couldn't help but smile themselves.


	19. Chapter 19

**February 2018-The End?**

Kelly had a huge smile on his face as he headed for the common room. It was good to be back in action. Seven and a half months of medical leave had really put him through the wringer…physically and emotionally.

He loved his job…it was what he was born to do. He knew it just as sure as he knew his own name.

Sure…he loved his family too. He loved being home with Andy and Jesse, they were growing up so fast…he couldn't believe they were three already…and in preschool. He had gotten to experience all that right along with them. And Alyssa…without a doubt, he knew he'd never have gotten through this without her. She was by his side every minute, taking care of him, doing whatever he needed her to do. She stayed with him when he was in the hospital after the surgery…she was there for every doctor's appointment…every rehab session. Just like she always was…

It hadn't been easy on her…he knew it. She stretched herself pretty thin at times, trying to be everything everybody needed and keep their lives running normally. With two kids, and everything that was going on with him…it couldn't be easy. But he was already thinking ahead to something huge…

They were married three and a half years…and they had never had a honeymoon.

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He rummaged through the fridge…he'd be glad when Mills got back and they had some human cooking around here again.

Mills was still in rehab after the injuries he received in that apartment fire last spring…when he and Hadley had gotten buried in the stairway collapse. Pete got the worst of it…both his legs were broken…and he hurt his back. He had a hell of a time getting back on his feet…and a few times he almost gave up.

But Kelly wouldn't let him. He yelled, he screamed…and a few times he'd actually dragged Pete's ass to PT himself. And it was finally paying off. Mills was working out every day now…swimming, riding the bike for cardio…core training…and strengthening his legs.

Kelly slammed the door shut. Mills couldn't get back fast enough…

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Cruz stuck his head through the door.

"Hey, Lieutenant…there's someone outside for you."

Cruz looked a little on edge…and the way her hemmed and hawed, Severide wondered what could be wrong. And who'd be standing outside on a February night in Chicago?

He strode through the apparatus room and zipped his jacket all the way up before he opened the door.

It was a woman…hugging herself against the cold…her long hair falling all around her face, blocking him from seeing who it was at first.

"Renee?" he asked.

She looked up slowly, and pushed her tangled hair back. When the harsh fluorescent light hit her face he could see the black streaks of mascara running down her cheeks. She looked like she hadn't slept in days.

He took a step closer…

"What are you doing here?"

"I don't know…" she said softly…almost in a whisper. "I didn't have anywhere else to go…"

A cold wind cut right through him…and he noticed she had no coat. Just a sweater, that hung on her gaunt frame.

"Well, c'mon inside…it's freezin' out here."

He held the door open…and his heart clenched in his chest as she crept past him, shrinking back from the light.

What had happened to her? She used to be a firecracker…she would laugh and dance, and throw her head back so her long hair swung behind her. She knew people were watching her…and she was a merciless flirt. She always had him right on the edge…

But there was no trace of that girl now.

Eric…her older brother, said she'd gone off the rails after Kelly broke off their engagement. But judging by what was right in front of him, that was the understatement of the year.

"C'mon…" he said. "Let's get some coffee then we can talk."

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He led her into the common room. The guys looked up…and there were a few whispers as he made up two steaming mugs of coffee.

As he picked up the cups and headed for the briefing room…it dawned on his that after all this time he still remembered how Renee took her coffee.

Renee curled up in a chair and wrapped her hands around the steaming mug. Her eyes were empty and Kelly noticed some remnants of bruising around her left eye and her cheek.

"What's goin' on, Renee? What've you been doin'?" he asked.

She didn't even look up.

"Nothing much…" she said in a trembling voice. "I've been…waitressing…"

There was more to it than that…he knew .

Renee had never been a very good liar.

But he decided not to call her on it.

"And where're you staying?"

"I've been living with…my…boyfriend…on the West side." She told him. "We had a fight though…a couple days ago…and he kicked me out."

"So where've you been?" he asked.

It'd been about twenty degrees all week.

"No where…I don't have any money…I've just…been…moving around…" her voice trailed off.

"What about your friends? Family?"

She had always had a huge crowd around her…he couldn't imagine her with nobody now.

But she just shook her head.

Again…he felt his heart clench.

"So what do you want me to do?" he asked.

"I don't know. I didn't know where to go…" she said again. "Can you help me?"

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He went out into the hall…and pulled out his phone.

"Hey…" he said. "Is there any way you could get over here? I know it's late…but it's something important."

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About half an hour later Otis tapped on the door to the briefing room.

"Uh…Lieutenant?" he said hesitantly. "Alyssa's here."

"Thanks." Severide said.

Then he turned to Renee.

"I'll be back in a minute."

He went to find his wife…and she was in the common room taking with Shay.

Alyssa looked like she had just jumped out of bed and grabbed the first things she got her hands on. And one glance at the clock told him that was probably what had just happened. She had jeans on with her knock off Uggs and one of his sweatshirts…so it was enormous on her. Her hair was gathered in a messy pony tail.

Shay saw him come in and she nodded to Lyssa, who turned around. She quickly crossed the room and before she could say a word, Kelly ushered her out into the back hallway.

"Kelly? What's wrong? Are you okay?" she asked.

She always worried about him…he knew that…and especially now, with him just having come back from having knee surgery.

He opened his arms to her…to show her he was all in one piece.

"I'm fine, Baby." He told her as he hugged her to him.

"Then what is it? Why'd you need me to run over here?"

"Who's with the boys?" he asked.

"My brother…" she answered. "Now, what the hell's goin' on?"

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"There's someone I need to introduce you to."

And he led her into the briefing room.

Renee was still curled up in a ball in one of the chairs, her knees drawn up to her chest, her arms hugging them close. Her hair hung over her face.

Kelly cleared his throat…and Renee looked up.

She saw the woman standing beside Kelly…

"Alyssa…" he began. "This is Renee…and Renee, this is Alyssa…she's my wife."

Renee gasped in surprise and jumped to her feet, like she was ready to bolt out of there. But he motioned for her to sit back down…and she did.

"It's…nice…to meet you…" Lyssa said hesitantly, and not like she really meant it.

But what else could she say?

Renee curled herself back up again.

Kelly turned back to Lyssa…and put his arm around her, steering her just a few feet away.

"She just showed up out of the blue…" he said in a low voice. "She's got no money…and no place to go."

Alyssa just stared at him, not fully comprehending.

"And what am I supposed to do about that?" she asked.

"I want you to take her back to the house…maybe get her something to eat…a shower…"

Lyssa's eyes went wide with disbelief. She couldn't believe what he had just asked her.

"Let's…go outside…" she stammered.

They stepped back into the hallway.

She turned to him.

"Tell me you're not serious." She said.

"What?" he asked.

"You expect me to take your ex-fiancée to our house, feed her and give her clean clothes?"

"She's got nowhere to go, Lyssa. She's been wandering the streets for two days with just the clothes on her back!"

"That's really too bad…but she's not comin' into our house. She can call her family…or go to a church…or a shelter…"

"She came to _me_…she wants _me_ to help her!"

"Kelly…I am _not_ gonna take some strung out hooker into our house, have her be around our kids…"

"She's not a hooker! And she never did drugs!" he shouted. "I _know_ her, Alyssa!"

"You _knew_ her, Kelly! I'll lay you ten to one if you peel that filthy sweater off her she's got track marks all up and down her arms!" Alyssa shouted right back.

How could he be so blind to what was staring him in the face?

"Lyssa!"

He didn't know what to say…how could she act like this?

They had had her ex-boyfriend move in for six months…and that was okay? But now his ex had hit bottom and Alyssa was slamming the door in her face?

"Kelly…I'm sorry she's in trouble…truly I am. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. But she's not coming in our house."

And he said what was on his mind…

"So when it's your ex who's in trouble we take him in…feed him…let him play with the kids…treat him like family…but when it's mine, she can sleep in the gutter?"

"It's not the same! First of all, Jonny wasn't a drug addict…"

"She doesn't do drugs!"

"Oh, please…even _I _can tell she's strung out on something. If you can't see that you need to get your eyes checked!" she spat at him in frustration. "And secondly…Jonny was _not_ my boyfriend. How many times do I have to explain that? We were _best friends_…just like you and Leslie."

She backed away from him.

"I'm sorry, Kelly…but I can't help you with this one."

She turned and ran back through the common room…and out the door.

"Alyssa!" Kelly went after her… "Alyssa!"

But she was gone. And everyone was staring.

He ran his hand down his face. He didn't know what to do.

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He turned and went back to the briefing room.

"Come with me…" he said to Renee.

She stood up and he led her to the women's locker room…stopping first at the lost and found. He had seen a pair of women's sweats in there.

Luckily they were still there…and he had an extra shirt in his locker. He gave them to Renee along with his shampoo.

"Why don't you go get a shower…and I'll throw this stuff in the wash?" he asked, indicating to the filthy clothes she had on.

Hopefully they wouldn't decinigrate in the machine…

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While he was in the laundry room Shay came looking for him.

"Kelly, what are you doing?" she asked.

"What's it look like? Washing clothes…"

"You're washing _Renee's_ clothes."

"So?"

"So, what are you doing?" she asked again.

He was in no mood to play twenty questions with her.

"She came to me, Shay. She's got nothin'. No money, no place to go, she's been on the streets for two days. What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"And what happens in the morning when we get off shift? Where's she gonna go then?"

"I don't know. I gotta figure that out. Alyssa wouldn't take her home…"

Leslie's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"You asked your _wife_ to take your _ex-fiancée_…the woman who cheated on you a week before your wedding…into your house?" she asked incredulously. "Wow…you really got some set on you…"

"So you're on her side? It's okay that her ex lives with us for six months, but when it's mine you slam the door in her face?" he snapped. "Is this some 'woman thing'?"

"It's got nothing to do with taking sides! And what are you so bent out of shape about Jonny for? He's no threat to you…or to your relationship with Alyssa. He never was."

"And Renee's not a threat either!"

Leslie just crossed her arms over her chest and gave him that 'look'…the one he hated with a passion.

"Oh please! After what that girl did to you…you're still ready to play the knight in shining armor for her? I can see how that would make Alyssa feel threatened. Not to mention…Renee's coming down off something…God only knows what."

"She never did drugs, Shay! Why do you and Lyssa keep saying that?"

"Because somebody's gotta point out the obvious! C'mon, Kelly! You've seen junkies before! Open your damn eyes!"

"You don't know what you're talkin' about!" he spat at her.

"_I _don't know what I'm talking about? Kelly, I'm a _paramedic_. I know _exactly_ what I'm talking about!" she said. "You just wanna stick your head up your ass!"

And she turned and stalked out of the laundry room.

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After Renee had showered, Kelly took her to his quarters.

"You can sleep here for tonight…what's left of it anyway." He told her.

"Thank-you, Kelly…" she whispered…then she put her arms around his neck and hugged him.

And he instinctively wrapped his around her…and again, after all this time…he was surprised how familiar the feeling was.

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He closed the door to his quarters…to let Renee sleep. Then he headed back to the common room.

It was empty…everyone else having gone to bed.

What was he going to do? He had no fucking idea.

He took out his phone again, ready to hit number one on his speed dial…but he stopped. Alyssa had already made it pretty clear where she stood.

He imagined her at home right now…what was she doing? He doubted she was sleeping. She was probably cooking…or baking…what she always did when she couldn't sleep.

Did Alyssa feel like Renee was a threat to her? They'd been together for five years now…surely she knew how he felt about her.

But how did he feel about Renee…that was the question. Even with what she did…he never hated her. He always tried to protect her…never telling anyone…except Leslie (who eventually blabbed it to everyone…) what she had done. And especially after the accident…when she went out and wrapped her car around a telephone pole…because he knew she'd need her family. He couldn't be there for her then…the hurt was still too fresh. So he let her family hate and blame him.

And that was hard…because they had become his family too.

But he couldn't dwell on the past now. Now he had to figure out what he was going to do.

He picked up his phone again…and scrolled through his contacts. He found the one he needed…and pushed 'call'.

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Unfortunately, things didn't look much better in the light of day.

Kelly knocked on the door of his quarters, then opened the door. He crossed the room over to the bed and gently shook Renee awake.

"Renee…it's time to wake up…c'mon, my shift's almost over."

She mumbled something incoherent.

"C'mon, Renee…we gotta clear out for the next shift."

Renee reluctantly sat up and pushed her hair out of her face. And when she saw Kelly there she smiled.

"Time to go…" he said.

He handed her her own clothes, freshly washed and dried.

"Go get dressed…" he told her. "I'll take care of this…"

He indicated to the bed she had just vacated.

"Okay…" she said, as she headed toward the door.

Then as a last second after thought, she darted back and gave him a kiss in the cheek.

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Second watch was leaving the firehouse…heading to their cars.

Kelly walked Renee toward his car…where her brother Eric was waiting.

Renee stopped in her tracks.

"Eric! What the fuck are you doin' here?" She turned to Kelly. "What's he doing here?"

"Kelly called me last night…" Eric began.

But Kelly cut him off.

"I called him, Renee. You need somewhere to stay…and your brother cares about you. He's been trying to track you down for a couple years now…"

"Well, maybe I didn't wanna be found! Did you ever think of that?" she spat at him. "If I wanted help from my brother, I'd have gone to him in the first place!"

Eric stepped forward.

"C'mon, Renee…" he said. "Just come back to my place…I'll get you something to eat…and we can talk. Figure everything out…"

"Or you can just go to hell!" she hissed at him. "You can both just go to hell!"

She turned on Kelly.

"You said you'd help me! I trusted you!"

"Renee…I am trying to help you. But I've got a family now…"

"And now I'm not good enough?! That's it, isn't it?" she shouted.

"No! But it's been eleven years! What did you expect?" he shouted back.

"I guess a little decency was too much! If you were just gonna push me off on someone else…"

Eric tried again…

"All right…enough." He said. "Get in the car, Renee…"

"Like hell I will!" she said as she backed away. "I wouldn't go with you if my life depended on it!"

Her eyes darted back and forth between the two men…and then she turned and walked away.

"Renee!" Kelly called after her. "C'mon…don't be like that!"

But Renee kept walking.

Kelly turned to face his friend.

"I'm sorry…" he said.

"What do you have to be sorry for?" Eric asked. "You were tryin' to do the right thing. She's just bein' a spoiled bitch."

"What was that all about?"

Eric sighed and raked his hand through his hair in frustration.

"I tried to get her into a program…about six or seven years ago." He said. "After she recovered from the car accident…she was partyin' a lot…I saw her flushin' her whole life down the toilet. And I tried to get her into rehab. But she wasn't ready. I guess she still isn't ready."

"I would've just taken her to my place…but Alyssa…" Kelly started.

"Don't even think about it." Eric cut him off. "You tried your best. You can't help her if she's not willing to help herself. Don't throw away your family for her."

And he turned and walked down the block to his car.

Kelly stared in the direction Renee had headed…but she was gone. So he walked around to the driver's side and got into his car.

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When he came in his back door the first thing he noticed was the silence.

Andy and Jesse were in the play room…but neither was making any noise.

"Hey guys…" he said as he dropped his bag and knelt down to their level.

They looked up at him…and the look in their eyes just about made his heart stop.

His sons looked terrified.

"Guys, what's wrong? Where's Mommy?"

They looked into the open door that led to the kitchen.

"In there…" Andy said.

"Daddy? Why Mommy crying?" Jesse asked. "Mommy sick?"

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Kelly stood up and headed into the house. Alyssa wasn't in the kitchen…or the laundry room. He walked through the door that led to the dining room. She wasn't there…so he continued toward the front of the house to the living room.

He found her sitting on the couch…wearing the same clothes she wore to the firehouse last night…staring off into space.

"What's goin' on? Why are the kids back there by themselves?" he asked.

She didn't move…didn't turn…didn't even acknowledge that she'd heard him.

"Lyssa…" he raised his voice a little. "Answer me."

Slowly…she turned to face him.

Her eyes were red and swollen…and her face stained with tears.

"What's goin' on?" he asked again.

Any other day…the sight of her in tears would have torn his heart out…and he would have rushed to her side and pulled her into his arms to hold her.

And any other day she probably would have let him.

But not today.

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"What'd you do with Renee?" Alyssa asked quietly…her voice trembling, barely above a whisper.

Kelly glared at her.

"I called Eric…but she wouldn't go with him. She took off again."

Alyssa just nodded slowly.

"What?" he asked. "Is that what you wanted?"

"I didn't want anything, Kelly." Alyssa told him. "And I understand you wanting to help her…but bringing her into our home…it's just out of the question."

"And all I want to know, is why? We took Jonny in when he was in trouble. That wasn't a problem. So why are you making a federal case outta this?"

Lyssa stood up and took a step closer to him.

"Kelly…for the last time…the situation with Jonny was totally different. And _we decided_ to bring Jonny here. You had plenty of time to think about it…and you agreed to it."

She was keeping her voice down, so as not to alert the twins to their argument.

And in a way…that was scarier than her just yelling and screaming.

"It was what you wanted." Kelly said.

"And if you had said 'no' that would have been the end of it. We've always respected each other's feelings. But you said you were okay with Jonny coming here…and I took it at face value."

"Well, it doesn't matter anymore." He said. "It's over…done…she's gone…"

"I can't believe you, Kelly! I can't believe you even asked me to bring her here!" Alyssa said. "And I can't believe you're equating _her_ situation to Jonny!"

"It is the same! Your ex is in trouble, so we have to help him. My ex is in trouble and you might as well have slammed the damn door in her face!"

"Kelly, for the last time…Jonny was not my ex…we never had a romantic relationship. It was all for show! It was what we had to do to keep an entire school of homophobes from hurting him! I never had any feelings for him other than being his friend…and he never had any feelings for me!"

"Then why'd you sleep with him?" he spat out.

Alyssa staggered back a step like he'd slapped her.

"We were sixteen! We were experimenting, I guess. He wanted to see if he _could _love me…" she said. "Kelly…when he got beat up that time…it scared the shit outta him. But you can't scare somebody straight. At least not like that."

Why did he have to keep bringing up that she had slept with Jonny…once…nearly twenty years ago?

She'd backed herself up against the sofa…and she sank down onto it.

"I don't want to fight anymore, Kelly. We're not gettin' anywhere like this."

"Fine…" he said.

And he turned to go upstairs…fully intending to pack a bag…

But there were Andy and Jesse…huddled in the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room.


	20. Chapter 20

**February 2018-Start Picking Up the Pieces**

He really had intended to leave…at least till he could regroup a little and clear his head.

But the sight of his sons huddled in the doorway…looking so lost, so frightened…stopped him dead in his tracks.

He could barely stand to be away from them for twenty-four hours when he was on shift. How would he be able to live in a different house and only see Andy and Jesse every other weekend?

He couldn't. Plain and simple.

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But this fight with Lyssa really shook him to the core. This was the first time since they had gotten married that they hadn't been _together_ on something.

She had a point about him agreeing to have Jonny move in with him. She _did_ ask him how he felt. He just hadn't been totally honest. He _didn't_ like having her ex-boyfriend…and he saw Jonny as an ex-boyfriend…no matter what she called it. There were old photos in Alyssa's scrapbooks on the bottom corner of the bookcase of her with him…dances, plays…whatever. There were DVD's buried at the bottom of a box in the basement of performances she'd done with him. Alyssa didn't know Kelly knew about them…but they were still there.

And of course there were pictures all over his mother-in-law's house…and the one…_maybe_ two times a year they went there it stared him right in the face. Alyssa had fought with her mom over that so many times…but Nadine wanted to live in the past. Or her pretend version of the present. Whatever…

But when Jonny was getting out of the hospital he needed a place to stay…somewhere safe, somewhere stable…and Kelly knew it would make Alyssa worry less if he was with them. So he told her he was okay with it.

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The tension at the house was unbelievable. Especially after the phone call he got two nights after Renee had turned up at Station 51.

Kelly had barely said two words to Alyssa since their argument after he got home. And she hadn't said two words to him. She went upstairs to their room and shut the door. She came down late that afternoon to make dinner…but once she'd served him and the twins, she went right back upstairs.

"Daddy, why Mommy not eat?" Jesse asked.

He was more in tune to the trouble brewing than Andy was…but Andy was sensing a disturbance in the force too.

"Mommy's not feeling good right now." Kelly said. "She just needs to take her medicine, then she'll be okay."

If only it was that simple.

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He gave the boys their bath and go them in their pj's…but just as he was about to read them a story his phone went off.

It was Eric Whaley.

Kelly quickly accepted the call.

He felt his stomach turn over when he heard what Eric had to say.

"I'm on my way. I'll meet you there." He said.

He went to his room…

Alyssa was lying on the bed, curled up in a ball.

"That was Eric…Renee OD'd on somethin'. She's at County." He blurted out.

Lyssa sat up slowly…staring at him.

"You need to finish gettin' Andy and Jesse in bed. I need to go…"

And he turned around and took the stairs two at a time.

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He walked into the ER at Stroger, formerly Cook County Hospital. He couldn't figure how Renee had gotten down to this part of town when she'd been up north that morning. She said she didn't have any money…

But that wasn't what was important.

He saw Eric across the waiting room, and joined his friend.

"Eric…what the hell happened?"

Eric shook his head. He didn't know any more than he had when he called Kelly and hour ago.

"Somebody dropped her off outside the door…shoved her out of a moving car. She apparently did have ID…and one of the nurses is a good friend of mine, and she recognized the name. So she called me…"

"Do they know where she was? What she took?" Kelly asked.

He was having a hard time swallowing that Renee had gotten into drugs. She'd drink too much sometimes…but her best friend's brother had died of a heroin overdose…she swore she'd never get messed up with shit like that.

Maybe Alyssa was right. He knew Renee…past tense. Obviously she was a different person now.

Eric shook his head again.

"They're thinking coke…she had powder in her nose. They gave her Narcan…it didn't do anything. They were gonna dose her again." He said.

"My God…"

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A nurse came out to the waiting room.

"Eric?"

Eric and Kelly both stepped up.

"How is she?" Eric asked.

"She's awake…" the nurse said.

Both men breathed a sigh of relief.

"Can we see her?" Kelly asked.

The nurse looked at him…

"I'm sorry…" Eric apologized. "Mara Levy…this is Kelly Severide. He's an old friend."

Then he introduced Kelly.

"This is Mara…she's a good friend…and she's the one who called me."

Kelly nodded tersely.

He wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.

"Can we see Renee?" he asked again. "Please?"

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Mara led them back to a treatment room.

Renee was laying on her side…curled into a tight ball.

Kelly could help but flash on a picture of Alyssa in that exact same position when he walked into their bedroom right after Eric's call.

"Renee?" Eric said softly as he approached his sister. "Renee?"

Her eyes opened slowly at the sound of her name…but Kelly could tell there was no one home. She was that out of it.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"You're at County Hospital…" Eric told her. "You overdosed on cocaine."

"How'd I get here?"

"Somebody pushed you out of a moving car outside the ER." Eric replied.

She didn't say anything.

"Renee…" Kelly said.

She turned toward the sound of his voice…and slowly she brought him into focus.

"Kelly…what are you doing here?"

"Eric called me…" he said. "Where'd you go after you left the firehouse?"

"Where'd you get the money for this?" Eric asked her…afraid of the answer.

Renee glared at him with contempt.

"I turned a few tricks…how else would I get it?"

So she was a hooker…

"I'm gettin' outta here…" she said as she started to drag herself off the bed.

"You're not goin' anywhere…" Eric said as he moved to restrain her.

Kelly moved in to help him if need be.

"You can't keep me here!" Renee raised her voice.

"Renee…don't be like this. You need help…" Kelly said.

"I came to _you_ for help…and _you_ shoved me off on someone else! So it's none of your fucking business what happens to me!" she shouted.

"I still care about you!" Kelly shouted back. "I don't want you to end up face down in the gutter!"

"If you cared about me you would have helped me! Just go home to your precious family!"

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It was after midnight by the time he finally came in.

Renee was being admitted on a 72 hour psych hold.

After that Eric could petition to have her committed…not something he wanted to do…but that might be the only way to get her the help she needed.

But they'd both seen enough cases where that wasn't enough in the long run. In order for things to work, Renee had to want to change…she had to accept responsibility for herself and her actions…and the way she'd gone off on both Kelly and Eric said she wasn't ready to own up to anything.

She was too busy trying to put Kelly on a guilt trip.

The problem was, it was working.

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He went upstairs to check on the boys…and his heart stopped when he saw their beds empty.

It took about three or four long strides to get to his own room…where he found the boys in bed with Alyssa. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw them wrapped up in their fuzzy blankets each holding onto their teddy bears…and Alyssa had her arm thrown over both of them.

Now that he could see his family was safe…he debated what to do. Did he want to move the boys into their room and get into bed with Alyssa?

He took a step into the room to do just that, when he suddenly flashed on a mental image of Renee…alone in the hospital. And for the umpteenth time he felt guilty. If he had just helped her…and then he got angry all over again.

So he turned around and went back downstairs to the living room and flopped down on the couch. He reached for the throw that was folded over the back of the couch and wrapped himself in it.

He didn't know what to do. He didn't know how they were gonna move past this.

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It was almost a relief to be on shift. When the bells went off and he kicked into autopilot…it was wonderful to just _do_ and not have to _think_.

Eric did petition to have Renee committed. Kelly went down there with him…and they failed miserably. Apparently Renee actually _was_ a good liar…and said she had a place to go and a job waiting for her and her OD was an accident. And the doctor had decided she was okay to decide for herself. So Renee got out of the hospital. And neither Kelly or Eric had the first clue where she was.

Kelly actually had visions of her getting scooped up on an ambulance run…or worse.

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But things at home were almost untenable.

He and Alyssa barely spoke…they never touched each other…didn't hug or kiss. And Alyssa was barely even a shadow of herself. Kelly hadn't seen her smile or heard her laugh or sing in weeks.

She did what she had to in order to keep the house running. She cooked for him and the boys, did laundry, cleaned…but she didn't sit down to eat with them. And if he was in the room, she would go upstairs. He knew she was hurting…he knew she was crying when she was up there.

But he couldn't reach out to her. And he didn't know why. All he knew was that he felt like she didn't understand him anymore…and the gap between them seemed as wide as the Grand Canyon.

All this was wearing on the boys too. They had gotten very quiet…almost timid. They were anxious, not knowing what was going on. They weren't sleeping through the night anymore…and they'd both wet the bed several times. Most nights at least one… but usually both of them…ended up in bed with Alyssa.

Kelly had moved into the guest room downstairs.

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One morning just as he was coming off shift his phone rang.

"Forever"…their wedding song. His ringtone for Alyssa.

He hadn't heard it in about two…maybe closer to three weeks.

"Lyssa?" he said.

"Daddy?"

His heart stopped.

"Andy? What's wrong, Buddy?"

Leslie, Matt and Gabby were walking past him to their cars and heard him.

They all stopped in their tracks.

"Mommy's sick. She 'frowed up." Andy said in a little voice.

"Where is she, Buddy? Let me talk to her." Kelly tried to keep his voice calm.

"She's sleeping on the floor."

Kelly motioned to his friends to go to their cars, and follow him.

"Where's she at? What room?" he asked as he picked up his pace to a fast jog.

He unlocked his car and threw his bag across the front seat.

"The downstairs baf-room…" Andy said.

"And where are you?"

He started the car and peeled out down the street toward home. Matt, Leslie and Gabby fell into line behind him.

"With Mommy. Jesse too…"

His voice was starting to tremble and his pitch got higher…a sure sign he was about to start crying. It was a wonder he hadn't already.

"Okay, Buddy…Daddy's on the way home. I'll be there in a few minutes…just keep talking to me."

He hit his horn and blew through a red light.

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He made it home in record time…it was sheer luck there were no cops out.

He pulled into his driveway and slammed the car in park. Then he jumped out and ran in the back door.

"Andy! Jesse!"

Andy met him halfway through the kitchen and grabbed Kelly by the hand.

Leslie was about three steps behind him, Casey and Dawson right behind her.

Kelly swung Andy into his arms and hugged the little boy as Shay blew past him and ran to the bathroom.

It was like déjà vu…Alyssa lying on the floor…only Jesse was sitting beside her stroking her long hair back.

Leslie stepped over Alyssa to get a better look…and whispered to Jesse to go to Daddy and Uncle Matt.

She and Dawson took over.

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It wasn't as bad as they had feared.

Alyssa was semi-conscious…she was talking to them.

"Kelly…" Leslie said. "We need to get her out of here."

Kelly handed the twins over to Casey and stepped into the bathroom.

Shay and Dawson stepped back to give him room, and he scooped his wife into his arms.

As he carried her to the living room to lie her on the couch he thought to himself that she couldn't weigh more than ninety pounds at most.

Had she been eating in the past couple weeks? He didn't know.

Once he set her on the couch the paramedics took over again…checking her pulse, her respirations, her skin turgor.

"We need to get some fluids in her." Dawson said.

"Kelly? Where's the Zofran? And the Gatorade?" Leslie asked.

Ever since that horrible day he had come home to find her on the bathroom floor of their old apartment they had kept a full prescription of anti-nausea medication in both the downstairs and the master bathrooms. And they kept several bottles of Gatorade on hand at all times.

Kelly went to get the stuff they needed…and Casey headed upstairs with the twins to get them dressed.

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Leslie opened the pills and slid a tablet into Alyssa's mouth. It would melt against the inside of her mouth…then hopefully she'd be able to take some fluids without throwing up.

After a few minutes she held the cup and angled the straw so Alyssa could get some Gatorade into her.

It seemed like an eternity…but eventually she began to come around.

"Better?" Leslie asked her quietly.

Alyssa nodded weakly.

"When did it start?"

"While I was getting the boys' breakfast…" Alyssa said quietly…so quietly Kelly had a hard time hearing her. "I was making their oatmeal and I just was so nauseous. I got their food on the table…then I couldn't hold it anymore…"

Kelly checked his phone.

Andy had called a few minutes after nine…she usually got the boys breakfast between seven-thirty and eight.

"Why'd you wait so long?" he blurted out. "How could you let it get so far out of hand? The kids were scared to death!"

Alyssa's lip began to tremble…and her eyes welled up with tears.

Leslie and Gabby both glared at him. If looks could kill, he'd be dead on the spot.

Leslie stood up and shoved him into the next room while Gabby sat down beside Alyssa to try and calm her.

"You yelling at her's only gonna make it worse!" Shay hissed at him.

He knew that…he knew that.

He was scared too…

Kelly just nodded in defeat.

Leslie looked at him with disgust and went around him to the bathroom. She took a clean washcloth from the linen closet and soaked it in cool water, then took it back to the living room.

She handed it to Gabby, who gently wiped Alyssa's face…then brought the cup of Gatorade to her again.

Finally Alyssa was back in control…able to finish the drink and lie back against the cushions.

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Casey came back downstairs. Kelly was sitting at the kitchen table…wondering what to do.

Clearly…things had gotten completely out of control. They couldn't keep going like they had been.

Kelly looked up as Matt came into the room.

"Are the boys okay?" he asked.

Casey shrugged.

"They're still upset. You should go up there…tell them Mommy's gonna be okay."

Kelly nodded and pushed himself back from the table.

"Kelly? Why don't I take them to my place for tonight? I'll bring 'em back tomorrow. It'll give Lyssa a chance to rest…and the two of you time to talk."

Kelly nodded again.

That was probably the best idea he'd heard all day.

"Yeah…that's a good idea. I'm sure Lyssa won't mind."

And he headed upstairs to his boys.

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Andy and Jesse were in their room…both of them were on Jesse's bed.

They looked up as Kelly came into the room.

"Hey guys…" he said as he crossed the room.

He sat down on the bed and gathered his sons into his arms.

"Is Mommy better?" Jesse asked in a little voice.

"She's getting' there…" Kelly answered. "I'm so proud of you guys for taking such good care of Mommy."

He hugged his sons close.

"Listen, guys…Uncle Matt's gonna take you to his house for a sleepover tonight. It'll give Mommy a chance to rest and get better, okay?"

"What about you, Daddy?" Andy asked.

"I'll stay here and take care of Mommy. Everything's gonna be okay. I promise…"

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A little while later, he packed the boys back packs and sent them off with Casey and Dawson.

Gabby was going to drive them to Casey's in her car…then she had to get home to Pete.

And a little while after that, Leslie reluctantly left too…after threatening Kelly with bodily harm if he upset Alyssa again.

So they were alone…for the first time since they had argued about Renee's reappearance.

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Kelly brought a tray into the living room with a mug of hot tea and a slice of toast.

He set it down on the coffee table and handed Alyssa the steaming mug.

Then he sat down on the arm of the sofa.

"So what're we gonna do?" he asked.

"I don't know…" she whispered. "I don't know, Kelly. Maybe we need some help…"


	21. Chapter 21

**February 2018-Fighting Back**

They sat in the waiting room of a downtown office.

Kelly's stomach was churning nervously…never in a million years would he have imagined himself sitting in a psychologist's office…for marriage counseling, none the less.

But he and Alyssa needed help. That much was certain. This fight…these past couple weeks…had really torn their family to pieces. It was astounding…how one thing could set a chain of events in motion…and suddenly their whole marriage…their whole _life_ was in tatters.

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After Leslie had left…that day Andy called to tell Kelly that Mommy was sick…and she was "sleeping" on the floor in the downstairs bathroom…after Leslie had threatened to nail Kelly to a tree if he upset Alyssa again…they were alone for the first time since this whole mess got started.

And they had to figure out what to do.

First Kelly had to get some food into Alyssa. When he picked her up off the bathroom floor he realized she had barely eaten in almost three weeks. She had always been petite…since the day he met her…but since her injuries almost five years before, it was a real struggle to keep her weight up. The only time she topped a hundred pounds was when she was pregnant. And even then she only gained thirty.

So all day long, he tried to coax her into eating…but she could only take a few bites at a time. A couple tablespoons of soup…a couple bites of toast…a few bites of scrambled egg.

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He carried her upstairs. She had argued that she could walk…but then she was dizzy when she stood up…at least at first.

He set her down on the bed…but she wanted to take shower. So he followed her into their bathroom and while he adjusted the water she undressed herself slowly. And Kelly watched her.

He took her hand and led her to the digital scale. She didn't want to get on, but he insisted. When he looked down and saw the number 89 flashing up at him _he_ wanted to throw up.

Alyssa stepped into the shower…and a minute later Kelly got in with her.

He was suddenly afraid to let her out of his sight. Just that morning he'd dreaded coming home…now he didn't know how he was going to leave in thirty six more hours.

He ran his hands up and down her bare arms…across her shoulders…then ran his fingers through her long, brown hair, letting the water soak it.

Then he held her…finally. He wrapped his arms around her tiny body and after a moment she slipped her arms around him. And they both cried.

And they went to bed together for the first time in weeks…as he held Alyssa close against him Kelly knew they were going to have to fight to save their marriage. They hadn't gone through all the shit they had just to have it crash and burn like this. They had to think about Andy and Jesse.

Kelly had grown up with divorced parents…and a mostly absent father. He'd be damned if he let his sons grow up like that.

And although Alyssa's parents were still together…Kelly had never seen them show any affection for one another. He'd never heard them so much as have a conversation. They simply co-existed in the same house. It had been that way for as long as she could remember, Alyssa told him.

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In the morning, Kelly had called Mouch. As union rep, he had all kinds of information on Employee Assistance Programs, counseling…whatever.

And now they were waiting on pins and needles to meet with Dr. Paxton.

When she called them into her office she tried her best to put them at ease…but she could see they were both uncomfortable with the whole situation. Even the way they sat…on opposite ends of the couch…Alyssa looking very small and tired. Just the way she hugged her sweater around her…like she couldn't get warm.

And Kelly looked like he was looking for an exit. He sat with his right leg crossed over his left…and his foot jiggled nervously.

"Why don't we start with some easy questions?" the doctor said. "How long have the two of you been married?"

"It'll be four years in June." Alyssa answered.

"And did you date long before that?"

"We were together about a year and a half…" Alyssa said. "And we lived together part of that time."

"And you have two children?"

Kelly nodded.

"Yeah…twin boys." He said.

"How old are they?" Dr. Paxton asked.

"They turned three on Christmas Eve." Alyssa replied.

Now it was time for the harder questions.

"And what was it that brought you here today?" the doctor asked gently.

Alyssa and Kelly both looked at one another…kind of lost. Neither of them really knew how to put it into words.

"Well…" Alyssa began. "We've always been together on most everything we did. On the same page…I mean. We always could support each other…but now…"

"We had Alyssa's ex-boyfriend live with us for six months when he was going through a bad time…but when my ex-fiancée came to me for help about a month ago…Alyssa didn't want her in our house. We had a fight…and now everything's got completely out of hand…

Alyssa cringed at the mention of Renee…and then her blood boiled as she heard him equate that _woman's_ situation to Jonny…again!

She took a deep breath…and held it…then let it out slowly, counting one, two, three, four…

Dr. Paxton couldn't help but notice Alyssa's reaction…how she struggled to maintain her sense of control.

"Now we can't talk without everything coming back to this…" Alyssa said softly. "The tension's so bad…our sons are scared…I can't eat…"

"Alyssa's making herself sick." Kelly said. "Our son Andy called me…and she was passed out on the bathroom floor…"

There was a lot of hurt between them…a sense of distrust…of betrayal…there was blame…on both sides.

But under all that there was also still a deep love…and the fact that they were both here showed that they were at least willing to try to find their way back.

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It was almost a relief to go to work.

At least then, Kelly felt like he was in control. Every time the bells went off and he threw on his gear, he knew what he had to do. It just came naturally.

At home…it was anything but natural.

He and Alyssa had worked out some rules for themselves with Dr. Paxton's help. They had to sit down together as a family for meals when he wasn't on shift. That way the boys saw them together…and Kelly knew that Alyssa was eating.

They had to have a conversation…there were certain "safe" topics…the boys, his day, her day…their friends. And there were certain topics that were off limits, except in Dr. Paxton's office…namely Renee…and Jonny.

And they had to sleep together in the same bed. That was a big thing for Alyssa.

They only told a few people what was going on…Leslie and Casey knew…because they took turns with the boys when Kelly and Alyssa had their appointments.

Dawson knew…because she was there that day…and Kelly assumed she'd told Mills.

Mouch knew…because he gave them the information on the counseling.

Chief knew…because he was the chief.

And Alyssa had quietly told the boys' teacher that there were some difficulties at home…and that they were getting help.

But some things were still too hard. They didn't have people over…it was just too awkward. And Alyssa didn't come to the firehouse anymore. She hadn't had the energy to cook or bake like she used to. It was all she could do to keep things running at home for the boys.

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Yet despite all of this…there were hints that they might be all right again someday.

It was a grueling shift.

The city was hit with a massive ice storm. And it was one call after another…mostly car accidents and spin outs…and one jack-knifed semi on the Kennedy.

Kelly came home in the morning and they went through their new "routine"…

But that night…after Alyssa had tucked the boys into bed, read them their stories, and kissed them good-night…she came into her room to get ready for bed.

When she came out of the shower…Kelly was there…just sitting on the side of the bed.

He looked totally exhausted…and Alyssa climbed up onto the bed to kneel behind him.

"Kelly?" she whispered…as she gently slid her hands across his shoulders.

Kelly caught his breath as she began to massage his neck and shoulders. He was wound so tight it's a wonder he didn't snap.

"Do you want this?" she asked.

God, yes…he wanted this. He needed this.

He nodded…and he felt Alyssa tug at the back of his shirt. Slowly, he pulled it over his head and dropped it to the floor.

He drew in a deep breath as he savored the feeling of soft, warm hands on his skin. It had been so long since she had touched him…

She continued to rub his tired, aching muscles…and he could feel the tension draining from his body.

And then he felt her lips…soft and tender against his right shoulder.

And he heard something whispered so softly.

"I still love you, Kelly…I love you so much."


	22. Chapter 22

**April 2018-Happier Times**

Mills was back.

For the first time since that apartment fire had decimated the Rescue Squad…the team was back together.

It had been a long road…ten months.

Hadley had made it back first…he'd fractured his femur…and a couple ribs. But he was lucky…he hadn't needed any kind of surgery.

Kelly had come back next…he was out seven and a half…almost eight months. He had to have surgery to graft his torn ACL and repair his meniscus. He'd been in rehab for six months…and he worked his ass off. It was rough going…but he knew his dad had been right when he told him there was no replacing Rescue Squad. Only the best of the best get there…and Kelly knew he still had a lot more left in him.

Capp was gone almost as long as Mills. He had to have a titanium rod put in his right forearm after a beam had landed arcoss it, breaking both bones. Then three months later he had to have it removed. And he had worked his ass off too.

Mills had gotten the worst of it. He had broken both the tibia and fibula in his right leg…as well as his femur…and the tibial plateau as well as the left ankle and foot. He had compression fractures of his L4 and L5 vertebrae as well. He'd spent about four months in bed…and there were a bunch of times he nearly gave up.

But Severide wouldn't let him. He couldn't promise Mills that it would all turn out okay and he'd make it back…but even if that happened, it wasn't gonna be because Mills left something on the table. He'd forced Pete out of the house…dragged him to PT…to the gym…whatever it took.

And it all paid off. They were back…Squad 3 and their bad-ass three headed dog was back in action.

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There was some debate on what to do…to celebrate. Some of the guys…guys from Truck and Engine wanted to have a big blow out bash. Kelly knew some of the men…Hermann in particular, were hoping he'd offer up his house…and Alyssa's cooking. But that was impossible. There was too much going on over there…Alyssa wasn't in a place where she could handle feeding fifty people…and he wasn't sure they could go through the motions and put up a front that everything was okay.

So in the end…it was the four of them. Kelly, Capp, Hadley and Mills sat in a booth in the back corner of Shannahan's with a round of beers.

"To Squad 3…" Severide raised his bottle. "Back together…"

The men all clinked their bottles together and took a drink.

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Another part of Kelly and Alyssa's therapy sessions involved doing things as a family.

The twins had really been affected by all the tension in the house…and their little lives had been turned all around. They weren't their usual happy, playful, mischievous selves…running all through the house, climbing on everything…finishing each other's sentences.

And Andy wasn't eating nearly as much as he normally did…

Their teachers at school had been told that there were some problems at home…but that they were trying to work through them.

But still…it was enough to set Kelly on edge.

He wanted to kick himself…that the problems he and Alyssa were going through had trickled down to the kids like they had. To see the change in the boys' personalities was enough to tie his stomach all up in knots.

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So at least one day a week…they had a family day. That was a day where they took the kids somewhere fun…somewhere different…and just got out of their lives for a while.

They decided on the Museum of Science and Industry.

Kelly hadn't been there since he was in grade school…and truth be told he was as excited as the boys were.

They were jumping up and down…they couldn't even stand still as they held onto their daddy's hands while they waited in line.

"What we gonna see, Daddy?" Andy asked.

"Lots of stuff, Buddy…they've got a coal mine…and a real old submarine. That's a boat that goes under water…

"And they have fire trucks…" Alyssa added.

Oh, yeah…Kelly totally forgot about that.

"See fire trucks?" Jesse asked…his little eyes glowing with excitement.

That seemed like a good place to start.

"Sure, Jess…we can see the fire trucks." Kelly told him.

"Now?" Jesse asked.

"Just as soon as we pay…"

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Once they had paid the admittance fee and Kelly and Alyssa consulted the map…the family headed for the anteroom on the lower level…where there we about half a dozen old time fire engines…and a few pieces of ancient gear.

Andy and Jesse both looked up at their daddy like he'd lost his mind. These weren't fire trucks. They didn't even have engines. How the heck was that old thing gonna put out a fire?

Kelly bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.

"Doesn't look like my rig at all, huh?" He asked.

Jesse looked the old pumper over, slowly walking around.

"How does it go?" he asked.

"They had horses to pull it." Kelly told him.

Now they knew Daddy was crazy.

"Horsies pull the fire truck?" Andy asked incredulously.

"Yeah…before they had cars."

"What's that?" Andy pointed to the tank.

"That's where they put the water." Kelly said. "They used to have to pump water from a well…and people lined up with buckets. Just the idea that the firefighters could carry the water with them was…like…state of the art stuff."

"What happens when they use up all the water?" Jesse wanted to know.

"Then you're just plain outta luck."

Kelly turned around to see where the gruff voice had come from.

He saw an elderly gentleman…probably in his seventies. The man was short…about five six, maybe five seven. He had a big barrel chest and a short thick neck. In short…he was built like a fire hydrant. And he had a thick head of snow white hair.

The old man shuffled a few steps toward Kelly and held out his hand.

"Joe Herlihey…Squad 2, retired." He said. "You really know your stuff, Kid."

Kelly shook Mr. Herlihey's hand.

"Kelly Severide…Lieutenant…Squad 3." He introduced himself. "And this is my Alyssa…and our boys, Andy and Jesse."

The old man nodded.

"Station 51, right?" he asked.

"Yeah…" Severide answered.

"Is Randy McHolland still around?"

"Yeah…he's still hangin' in there." Kelly replied with a grin.

"He came on as a Candidate the year I retired…" Herlihey said.

"Who's that?" Andy demanded.

Kelly looked down at him.

"What did I tell you about interrupting when grown-ups are talkin'?" he asked. "What do you say?"

Andy looked chastened.

" 'Scuse me?" he asked.

"That's better…" Kelly said. "And he's talkin' 'bout Uncle Mouch."

"Mouch?" the old man asked.

"That's what we all call him." Kelly told him. "Somewhere along the way, the man and the couch became one."

The old man chuckled.

"Sounds like Randy…" he said. "Well, you all enjoy your day."

"Good to meet you." Kelly said as he held out his hand again.

The old firefighter shook it then shuffled away.

"Mouch…" he muttered under his breath. "Figures…"

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The boys had no interest whatsoever in seeing the Fairy Castle…so while Alyssa went to relive a moment from her childhood, Kelly took the boys out to see the farm equipment.

"Look at me, Daddy!" Andy called down from the top of the two story combine. "Look how big I am!"

"I see you, Buddy." Kelly called back. "Now, let the other kids have a turn."

Then they went to the Idea Factory…

Oh my God…Kelly thought…as the boys ran from one thing to the next.

The big draw was the water spectacle…over 3000 gallons of water…and it seemed like at least 1000 of it ended up on the twins.

Despite the rubber coverings…both boys were soaked to the skin after Andy discovered that by turning the water cannon as far left as it could go he could drench his brother.

It was even better that the Super Soaker Uncle Pete got him!

And of course, Jesse had got him back in spades.

Kelly delivered his dripping sons to their mother and headed to the gift shop to buy a couple dry shirts.

When he got back he took them to the men's' room to change them and he held each twin up to the dryer…he felt like he was in a scene from Mr. Mom.

Once they were all reasonably dry…they went back to Alyssa…who was happily updating her Facebook status with pictures of the boys…before…and she snapped an "after" shot.

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They rode the elevator down into the coal mine…

And Jesse didn't like the dark, confined space. Kelly picked up is son and held him tight as Jesse buried his face against his daddy's shoulder.

"Shhh…its okay, Jess." Kelly whispered. "Daddy's got you. You're okay."

"Jesse's a baby!" Andy said.

"Hey…" Kelly told him. "You be nice to your brother…or we'll take the next elevator right back to the top and go home."

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After a long day…and many dollars spent at the Museum Store…the twins fell asleep in their car seats before Kelly had even cleared the downtown area.

He looked in the rear view mirror at his sleeping sons. And he reached over and took Alyssa's hand.

"I think they had a good time…" he said.

"I'm sure they did." She replied.

"Are you glad we went?" he asked.

Alyssa nodded.

"Yeah…are you?"

"Are you kidding? It was fun! We really need to do stuff like this more often."

It was a shame, though, that it took something so drastic to get them to stop all the shit they were doing…and enjoy their time as a family.


	23. Chapter 23

**June 2018-Saying Good-bye**

Kelly came out of Station 51 at the end of his shift to find a familiar face waiting for him.

And not one that he was entirely happy to see.

He strode over to where Jonny DiNardo was leaning against his car…waiting.

Kelly hadn't seen Jonny in months…not since he and Alyssa had driven out to St. Charles to see Jonny play Chris in "Miss Saigon".

Jonny had been making quite a name for himself on the local theater scene. He'd played three or four leading roles at a couple different theaters since he'd gotten that first part in Lincolnshire.

Not too bad for a guy who'd tried to end it all a couple years ago.

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Kelly and Alyssa had had several discussions about Jonny in Dr. Paxton's office…but Kelly kept coming back to that one thing…yes, he knew Jonny was gay…yes, he knew Alyssa said she never loved him as more than a friend.

But he couldn't get past the fact that she had slept with him.

After all…he had slept with one of Shay's girlfriends…what was her name? He couldn't even remember.

The point was…she wasn't 100% lesbian.

Alyssa had been offended…and she told him it wasn't like that. And she also said having been a man-whore wasn't something he should go around bragging about.

It wasn't a very productive session.

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And now Jonny was waiting for him.

Kelly squared his shoulders and strode over to his wife's oldest friend.

"Jonny…" he said tersely.

Jonny straightened up…his hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his leather jacket.

"Kelly…" he said. "You have time to grab a cup of coffee?"

"Yeah, I guess…" Kelly replied.

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The two men sat in a back booth of the nearest Starbucks…looking each other up and down, neither sure what to say.

Jonny cleared his throat.

"I just…wanted to ask what's going on with Lyssa." He said. "She hasn't been taking my calls…returning my texts…nothing. For months now…"

Kelly's eyes went wide with shock.

He had told Leslie almost everything…even most of what went on in the sessions with the counselor. He assumed Alyssa would have given her best friend an earful.

"Is everything okay?" Jonny asked.

Kelly took a sip of his coffee.

Where to even begin?

"We've had some stuff go on…" he said cautiously. "Some pretty…bad…stuff."

Jonny had figured as much.

"Can I ask what about?"

Severide took a deep breath and let it out.

"Lyssa and I had a huge fight…and everything kinda snowballed…my ex-fiancée came back…and she was all messed up. I wanted to help her…but Alyssa didn't want Renee in the house, around the kids…and I…"

"You figured since you guys helped me you could do the same for her?" Jonny finished.

Kelly nodded.

"You still think of me as Alyssa's ex-boyfriend, don't you?" Jonny asked.

"Well…yeah…what else would you call it?" Kelly snapped.

He was so tired of splitting hairs over this. Just call it what it was…

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Jonny looked at Kelly…no animosity…no anger…just honest.

"Can I tell you what it was like?" he asked. "For me…back then?"

Like he really had a choice?

Kelly leaned back in his seat.

Jonny took a deep breath.

"I've known Lyssa forever…since pre-school. We were always together. Our moms were best friends…we lived about two houses away from each other. The Boungiovanni's treated me like I was a sixth son.

"I always knew I wasn't like Joey or Nicky…or the other boys in the neighborhood. Alyssa and I used to play for hours…acting out stories with her dolls…playing scenes in her playhouse…singing with all her records. If the boys tried to get me to play ball…I usually wound up getting hit."

While he was talking, Jonny was busy shredding a paper napkin into a thousand pieces.

"I knew I liked boys by the time I was in junior high…but I'm pretty sure I was the only kid in school. We were in a Catholic grade school…"

Not exactly a place to come out…

"And then we got to high school. I know you know this story…but these three guys…all football players…jumped me in the locker room. One of 'em, Bryce Petroski…he claimed he caught me checkin' him out…but I wasn't. He was so not my type…

"Anyway…Bryce and his buddies grabbed me and hauled me into the shower room. One of 'em stuffed a t-shirt in my mouth so I wouldn't scream. And they beat the livin' crap outta me. I had two black eyes…a busted lip…bruised ribs…"

This was the first time Kelly had ever heard all the details of the attack.

"They left me there…on the floor. I was bleeding…and crying…then Lyssa showed up. She snuck in and she found me there. She helped me up and took me out a back door…and we went to her house. Both our parents were away with this 'Marriage Encounter' retreat from the church…colossal waste of time…never did either of them any good."

Kelly couldn't imagine his in-laws on a couples retreat.

"So Alyssa cleaned me up…tucked me in her bed…"

Kelly bristled…

"And we decided to tell everyone we were going out. We were always together anyway…it wasn't exactly a hard sell. And we did that for about three and a half…four years."

"And what about the part where you and she slept together?" Kelly asked. "Was that really necessary for this little charade?"

Jonny's eyes widened.

"She told you about that?" he asked.

He wasn't surprised. Alyssa was honest to a fault. She wouldn't keep a secret from Kelly.

"Yeah…way back when you and she fell asleep on the couch…"

He wasn't sure if Jonny knew about _that_ fight…or how close he and Lyssa had come to breaking up back then…

Jonny sighed…and took a sip of his now lukewarm coffee.

"It happened after Turnabout…my parents were gone for the weekend…anyway…Lyssa and I went to the dance. We had a good time…we were always great together on the dance floor…everybody used to just stand in a circle and watch us. After…we went to dinner. We were just by ourselves…the two of us…we never doubled with anyone. Then we went back to my house.

"I was just thinking…could I do this? Could I be happy with a girl. It would make everything so much easier…" Jonny said. "So I kissed her. She was kinda surprised…she was shocked, actually. But it was like in a play…we just started making out…and I got braver…and I started touching her."

Kelly shifted uncomfortably…he didn't need the play by play…not when it came to his own wife.

"And one thing led to another…and nature, I guess, took over. And then it was over. I _wanted_ to feel something…I _wanted_ to be satisfied. If I_ could_ be happy with a girl, Lyssa would have been it. But it was just physical…basic biology.

"Don't get me wrong…I love Lyssa…and I'll always be so grateful for everything she did to protect me all those years. But it wasn't love like it's supposed to be between a couple…not like what you and Lyssa have."

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There was an awkward silence…

"But that's not why I wanted to talk to you." Jonny said.

"What did you want?"

"I'm moving…" Jonny said. "To London. I got the lead in a revival of "Jesus Christ Superstar" on the West End."

Kelly stared at him blankly.

"That's like…England's Broadway…" Jonny explained. "I signed a two year contract. I'm leaving at the end of the month."

"Congrats…" Kelly said.

He was happy for Jonny. He didn't get all that stuff…the plays and the show tunes…but Alyssa always enjoyed the shows they had gone to see Jonny in.

"I don't want go without seeing Alyssa and the boys. You guys are my family…all the family I've got. And Lyssa not returning my calls…"

"That's prob'ly my fault." Kelly told him. "I'll talk to her…"

"Thanks, Kelly… I appreciate it."

"Why don't you come over this weekend…we can grill and just hang out…"

Jonny nodded.

"Sounds good…"

Now all Kelly had to do was go home and tell Alyssa that her best friend was moving to another country.


	24. Chapter 24

**September 2018-Show and Tell**

Summer flew by in a whirlwind of activity…

Kelly finally got to do all the things he had wanted to do last summer…like taking the boys to the beach…and for bike rides along the lake. They went to a bunch of carnivals and street fests…and he and Casey had taken the boys to their very first Cubs game. It was a Cross Town Classic…and Casey even managed to brave the North Side in order to see his godsons' faces when they saw a real ball park.

They ended up with sleepy, sweaty…slightly sunburned boys who ate too many hot dogs.

Oh well…maybe next year.

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Andy and Jesse started their second year of pre-school…and this year the teachers decided to try them in separate classes.

That lasted about a week.

The twins kept running out of the room to "check up" on each other…and Kelly and Alyssa had gotten a call to meet with the director.

The answer seemed pretty simple…at least to Kelly. So the boys were put together in the same room.

And everything was fine…for a while.

There was a new boy in school this year…Joseph. And Andy didn't like this kid one little bit.

"Daddy…" he complained. "He _steals_ toys! I was playing with the school bus…and he came right over and _stole_ it!"

"And he eats more cookies than anybody!" Jesse added. "Even Andy!"

Taking toys…and out eating Andy? That was two strikes against this kid.

"You guys have be a little patient." Kelly told them… "Joseph's new this year…he hasn't learned all the rules yet."

"Everybody knows you don't _steal _toys!" Andy said, crossing his little arms over his chest.

"Maybe Joseph doesn't have any brothers or sisters…and he's not used to having to share."

But the words sounded totally foreign…at least to Kelly. No way would _he_ have been patient…he'd have cleaned the kid's clock. Come to think of it…that was probably exactly what he did. All he remembered about pre-school was spending a lot of time in the Nasty Chair. They should have just put his name on it.

He guessed that's what being a parent was all about…making sure your kids didn't end up repeating your mistakes.

It was a good theory, anyway.

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One day at the end of September Kelly showed up at St. Pasqual's to pick up Andy and Jesse.

As he stepped into the building Ms. Monahan was waiting for him. That couldn't be good…the director of the school waiting for one particular parent.

She ushered Kelly into her office.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"There was an altercation this morning…"

"What kind of "altercation"?"

The director motioned for him to take a seat.

Kelly sat down…not liking where this was going.

"There's been some friction…particularly between Andy and another boy…"

"Joseph…" Kelly said. "Andy says the kid steals toys and snacks and whatever."

"Joseph's having trouble adjusting to our program…" Ms. Monahan allowed. "He's a foster child…"

"Okay…"

That might explain a few things…

"So what happened today?" he asked.

"Andy and Joseph got into a shouting match…and then it got physical."

"Physical how?"

"Joseph and Andy started pushing each other…then Jesse came flying across the room and tackled Joseph. Joseph bumped his head on a chair…"

"Were Andy and Jesse okay?"

They had to be…if either one of them had gotten hurt this surely wouldn't be the first he heard about it.

"Andy and Jesse are fine…but they both had to have time out…they sat for ten minutes. That's the longest time out we give…and only for the worst behaviors.

So his kids got the maximum sentence…

"Okay…their mom and I'll talk to them at home. Is there anything else?" Kelly asked.

Ms. Monahan shook her head.

"No…I just had to make you aware. We can't tolerate physical behavior in school."

Kelly stood up.

"We'll take care of it…" he said.

Then he went to collect his boys.

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They were quiet as they headed toward home.

"Okay, guys…tell Daddy what happened."

Both boys started talking at once.

"We were playing with the trucks…and Joseph had one of the fire trucks…but he was doing it wrong! And I told him…that's the Engine…not Truck! And he said 'same difference'!" Andy said.

Kelly had a feeling he knew how this was gonna play out.

"I tol' him 'There's a _big_ difference!'…and I said I know 'cause my daddy's a firefighter!" Andy went on. "And Joseph said I was _lying_!"

"Then Joseph pushed Andy…and Andy pushed back…then Joseph pushed him again…and Andy fall down on his butt!" Jesse said. "And I got mad…so I went and knock Joseph down…and he bumped his head."

"And he started crying like a _big baby_!" Andy took over again. "And he had to go in the office and get a ice pack…"

"And me and Andy hadda go in 'time out'!" Jesse told Kelly.

"And Joseph started it! And we got in trouble! Joseph didn't have to sit in time out at all!"

Andy just thought the whole thing was unfair.

Kelly could tell by the dark look on his son's face what was coming next.

"I don't like that school anymore! They don't play fair!"

"Yeah…" Jesse agreed. "Joseph didn't get in trouble at all!"

"I'm not gonna go back there." Andy decided. "I quit!"

"Me too…" Jesse said. "I quit too!"

"Guys…that's not how it works." Kelly told them. "You can't just quit school because things aren't always fair."

"But Daddy!" Andy said. "Joseph said I was_ lying_! What if the other kids believe him 'cause he's_ bigger_?"

"Yeah…he's gonna be_ five_!" Jesse said.

"That's not gonna happen. The other kids all know you guys…they know you don't lie."

"Not all the kids do…" Jesse told him. "There's lots of new kids…"

Kelly thought about it for a minute.

"Don't worry guys…we'll figure something out. Daddy'll fix it."

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When they got back to the house Kelly told Alyssa what had happened at school.

While he took the boys upstairs to get out of their uniforms…Alyssa went through their backpacks…and when Kelly came back down she handed him two papers with a wicked grin on her face.

Kelly looked at her quizzically as he read what Lyssa gave him…and a huge grin spread across his face.

He knew how he was gonna fix Andy and Jesse's problem.

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On Friday, just after the preschoolers had had their morning circle time, done their calendar and picked their jobs for the day Mrs. Beatty asked if anyone had brought anything for Show and Tell.

Little hands shot up…but there was a noise from outside the building.

Fire trucks!

Everyone jumped up off the rug and ran to the windows…being only ten blocks from the fire station and at least twenty-five kids in four preschool classrooms had at least one parent who was with the fire department…all the kids got excited every time they heard a siren.

Today was no exception.

But this time…the fire trucks pulled up right to the school! They had their lights flashing…and the firefighters jumped down off the trucks and came into the building!

Andy and Jesse were jumping up and down…because they saw Truck 81…and Ambulance 61…and Squad 3! They knew who was coming!

Severide strode into the building, followed by Casey, Mills, Cruz, Hermann, Mouch, Otis, Capp, Hadley, Dawson and Shay. He went down to his sons' classroom and opened the door.

Andy and Jesse flew across the room and launched themselves into his arms.

"Daddy!" the both shouted as they hugged Kelly tight.

"Hey guys!" he said with a huge smile. "Are you ready for Show and Tell?"


	25. Chapter 25

**November 2018-Inferno**

Kelly held open the door for his wife as they left the restaurant. It was a little hole in the wall place in Chinatown…not someplace well known…but some of the best food he'd ever had. He and Alyssa had discovered it when she was pregnant…and craving Szechwan.

Another thing they were doing as part of their counseling was trying to spend time together as a couple…like dating. At first he felt really silly…because the first couple times he was so nervous. Seriously, to be nervous about having dinner with someone you were married to? With someone you made two babies with?

They had rules for those nights too. No kids, obviously. No friends. No family. Just the two of them. And they had to talk about their feelings. The first time was like pulling teeth. They had to keep things positive…and the elephants in the room were still off limits. But slowly, they began to find things to talk about.

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They were the last ones out of the restaurant, and their car was parked about three blocks away. The city was having some weird weather. The days were running in the high thirties to low forties and it had been raining for about four days straight. But at nights the temperatures were plummeting down into the twenties and even the teens…making for some treacherous conditions. Kelly had lost count of all the car wrecks they'd been called out to in his last two shifts.

He draped his arm around Alyssa's shoulders as they walked down the block. The wind cut right through him and he wished he'd worn a warmer jacket than his leather one. Either that or a warmer shirt underneath it. He pulled Lyssa close to his side. If he was cold…she must be damn near frozen.

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Suddenly a beat up old Nissan came careening around the corner. It must have hit a patch of ice…and Kelly cringed when he heard the brakes squeal. He braced himself for the crash he knew was coming and instinctively drew Alyssa closer and up against the building.

The Nissan spun wildly out of control and slammed into a parked car across the street. The twenty year old economy car crumpled like an accordion as it hit the equally ancient Subaru.

"Lyssa…call 911!" he told her as he dashed across the street to see what he could do.

He reached the wreckage and surveyed the damage. There was a woman in the driver's seat…and two small children in car seats strapped in back. There was steam coming from under the hood of the Nissan telling him the radiator was probably history.

Kelly yanked on the handle of the rear driver's side door. After several tugs he got it open.

The kids…an infant and a toddler were both crying at the top of their lungs.

"Ma'am? Are you okay?" he asked the woman. "My name's Lieutenant Severide…I'm a firefighter. Help's on the way!"

"My babies!" the woman gasped. "Get my babies!"

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Kelly popped the infant carrier out of its base and ran the baby over to where Alyssa was standing.

"They're coming, Kelly!" she said as he handed her the screaming child. "Be careful!"

He ran back across the street. This time he caught a whiff of gasoline.

The woman had hit the left rear quarter of the Subaru…the gas tank was probably ruptured.

He had to work fast!

He pulled a pocket knife from his back pocket and cut the straps of the toddler's car seat. He pulled the hysterical child out and ran her over to Alyssa too.

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Finally he ran back for the woman. It took several precious seconds…but he managed to wrestle the driver's side door open…just as a finger of flame shot out from beneath the Nissan's crumpled hood.

The woman was screaming…but she was pinned in tight. Kelly tried desperately to pull her out…but with no tools…it was a futile effort.

But he kept trying.

"KELLY!"

He heard Alyssa scream from across the street. He could hear the sirens getting closer. And he could hear the roar of the flames whipping through the air.

"KELLY!" Alyssa screamed again.

Kelly tried one last time to free the driver…before he dove out of the way.

He hit the pavement and covered his head a split second before the car exploded!

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He rolled out from under the shooting flames and scrambled to his feet. Then he ran for the opposite side if the street where Alyssa and the two kids were huddled against the wall of an empty storefront.

There was glass all around, windows shattered by the concussive force of the blast. Kelly crouched down…shielding Alyssa and the children as a second fireball shot into the night sky.

Engine 8 pulled up…followed by Truck 4 and Ambulance 85.

The medics took the two babies…and soon they were racing to the hospital…

Kelly watched as the men put out the fire…but it was too late for the poor woman hopelessly pinned in the wreckage.

And he could only stand there…holding his wife in his arms…attempting to shield her from the sights unfolding before their eyes…the things he saw every day.

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The chief of Battalion 2 came over to speak to him.

The man looked Kelly over…knowing he'd seen him before.

But out of context he couldn't place him.

"Kelly Severide…" Kelly told him. "Lieutenant on Squad 3…out of Station 51."

The chief nodded…now he remembered.

"Sorry…I didn't recognize you. What can you tell me?" he asked.

Kelly quickly told him what they'd seen…what he'd done…what he tried to do.

Alyssa confirmed everything he said.

The chief nodded again. What could he say? What Kelly had done was exactly what he would have expected any of his own men to do. On duty or not.

"Are you all right?" the chief asked. "You need to go get checked out?"

Kelly shook his head.

"I'm fine…do you need anything else from us?"

"No…I know where to find you."

So, with his arms wrapped tightly around Alyssa…he made his way to his car…got in and they drove home in silence.

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Vargas was the babysitter de` jour…

And while Alyssa went upstairs to check on the twins Kelly slowly removed his leather gloves and shrugged off his jacket. Now he was grateful for the leather rather than his big Northern Face. He'd have been toast in that…literally.

"Everything okay, Lieutenant?" Vargas asked.

Suddenly the whole thing hit Kelly all at once…and he felt like a truck had just run over him.

Slowly…he began to tell Vargas the story…he didn't have to say much…go into too much detail. Jose knew. They'd all been in a situation where despite your best efforts…it just wasn't enough.

Alyssa came back downstairs and slipped her arms around her husband.

Vargas looked from Kelly…to Alyssa…and back to Kelly again and he knew the best thing for them was to just be alone. Alyssa had been around the block a time or two with this kind of thing…and she knew what to do for the Lieutenant.

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After she had locked the door Alyssa came back to Kelly's side.

"C'mon, Honey…" she whispered to him as she gently led him upstairs.

In their room he sank down slowly on her side of the bed. She came to him…and began to slowly unbutton his shirt. She slipped it off his shoulders…and carefully down his arms.

He caught his breath as the fabric slid across the skin on the inside of his wrists…and Alyssa quickly turned his arms to see what was causing him pain.

He had some minor burns…barely even first degree on the insides of his wrists and forearms…like the heart had maybe gone up the sleeves of his jacket as he tried to free the driver.

Alyssa ushered him into their bathroom and took clean white washcloths from the linen closet. She soaked them under the cold water and gently applied the cold compresses to his arms.

The cold was a relief…but even more so was the feeling of Alyssa's touch.

Once the sting of the burns was soothed…she helped him to undress…and step into the shower. A few moments later she joined him….and like they'd done a thousand times before she gently rubbed his back and shoulders as the water pummeled him. She soaped his back and moved the sponge in slow rhythmic circles and he could feel the tension in his body just washing away with the bubbles. She did the same to his front…working her way across his toned chest and abdomen…carefully cleansing his arms with a different, anti-bacterial cleanser.

He reached out to still her hands…more than her help, he needed to just hold her. He wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her close.

When they got out of the shower she toweled him off…and patted his arms dry with a clean, white towel. Then she gently smoothed on a natural aloe lotion and bandaged them loosely with soft gauze.

She led him back to their bedroom and she turned to get shorts for him and a t-shirt for herself from the dresser drawers…but Kelly stopped her.

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Now it was his turn to take the lead.

He reached out to her and his hands spanned her tiny waist. He pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her.

He needed to feel her…the feel her soft and warm against his skin. He needed to hear her heart beating and feel her breath hot on his lips. He needed to feel something alive.

And Alyssa needed it too. It had been months and months since the last time they had held each other like _this_. They had begun to touch one another again…slowly…tentatively…but there was always some barrier in the way.

Now, they were completely naked…both physically…and emotionally. After what they had witnessed that night…a night that had begun as a light-hearted, care-free dinner/date…it had ended in brutal horror.

Kelly leaned down to capture Alyssa's lips in a deep, all-consuming kiss. His need only grew stronger as he backed her to their bed and his lips didn't separate from hers as he reached down and threw aside the covers.

They climbed in under the blanket and Kelly ran his hands over every inch of his wife's body. He kissed her over and over…down her neck…softly kneading her breasts with his hands. And her nails gently raked across his back as she responded to his kiss and his touch in kind.

He slid his hand down her body to make certain she was ready…but all he really needed to do was look into her eyes. The love and longing he saw glowing there was something he hadn't seen in so long…something he was beginning to fear he might never see again.

He pulled back to enter her…and when he did she rose up to meet him…over and over again.

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Finally spent…he collapsed alongside her…and reached out to pull Alyssa to him again. He still wanted to feel her…to touch her…to love her. He still needed her.

They were by no means back to what they were…but they were definitely another step closer.


	26. Chapter 26

**December 2018-Pump It Up!**

"What do you think we should do for Andy and Jesse's birthday?" Alyssa asked Kelly one night as they got ready for bed.

Kelly thought about it.

The twins would be four on Christmas Eve…and this had been a helluva year…what, with Renee resurfacing after more than ten years and reaching out for help. Help it turned out she didn't really want. After he had called her brother…Renee had run off again, only to OD on coke.

Kelly had no idea where she was, or what had happened to her. He checked in with Eric still, from time to time, but Eric had no clue either.

But all that had gone on since…had nearly wrecked Kelly and Alyssa's marriage…their family.

They were still going to counseling…ten months later. And it was one of the hardest things Kelly had ever done. It was like peeling an onion…not that he'd peeled too many onions in his life…but every time they thought they were coming to the solution, something else came up.

Kelly had talked and talked about feeling like everyone was just one step away from hurting him…and wanting to protect his heart from ever being hurt again.

Alyssa had talked about feeling taken for granted. She talked about how she had thought she and Kelly were a team…but him asking her to take care of Renee when she was down and out had made her feel like she was nothing more than the hired help.

That had sparked a huge fight…one that had taken weeks to get past.

Now they had this exercise that they had to do before bed one night a week where they had to make a list of the things that they appreciated about one another. At first it had seemed silly…but as Kelly listened more he realized that it was the little things that his wife appreciated the most…like when he took the twins so she could have a couple hours to herself…to read, to nap…to take a bubble bath.

But Alyssa was looking at him, waiting for an answer about the twins' birthday.

"I want to do something big…" he said. "Something over the top. Something with everybody."

That was another thing.

They used to have people in and out of the house all the time. But they hadn't done that in months.

Alyssa nodded. She felt the same way.

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The next day she brought the iPad to him…

"What about this?" she asked.

Kelly took the tablet and looked at what she was showing him. He paged through the site…looking at all the pictures…and smiled.

"This looks perfect." He said. "Can we get it?"

Alyssa nodded.

"I called today…they have an opening the Saturday before Christmas."

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After briefing next shift Kelly told the guys he had an announcement.

"I just wanted to let you know…we're gonna do a party for Andy and Jesse…it's gonna be at this place out in Glenview called "Pump It Up"…"

"Whaddya want us to haul all the way out the Glenview for?" Hermann asked.

"C'mon guys…" Severide said. "The place looks really cool…and we wanted to do somethin' big. You know?"

Everyone looked around the room.

They knew something was wrong over at Severide's…Alyssa hadn't been to the firehouse or brought the kids in forever.

"Well…you know I'll be there." Casey said.

"Yeah…" Shay agreed. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Count us in…" Hermann said.

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It seemed like Saturday would never get there…and Kelly was as anxious as the kids. He'd looked at the on-line brochure…watched the video…and the place looked so cool! C'mon…inflatables that could hold grown-ups? Kelly felt like a kid himself!

"Are we there yet, Daddy?" Andy asked for the hundredth time since they left the house.

Kelly pulled the SUV into a parking space outside the cavernous building and slammed it in 'park'.

"Yes, Andy…" he answered with a sigh. "We're here."

Casey pulled in right next to them…and Mills, Dawson and Shay pulled in behind him. The gang was all there.

Kelly and Alyssa got the twins out of the back seat and Kelly took the boys by the hands. They were both so excited they were jumping up and down…yanking on his arms as they did.

That was why _he_ was holding onto them. Alyssa couldn't handle it when they got like this.

He walked them across the parking lot to the building as Alyssa, Casey, Mills, Shay and Dawson unloaded the cakes…Devil's Food for Andy, Fun-fetti for Jesse…the box containing the goodie bags, and the presents.

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Inside the building it was like the monkey house at the zoo. Kids were running and jumping…squeals and screams echoing through the space.

Andy and Jesse stared wide-eyed at everything…there was so much to see…so many colors…so much to do…and it was all theirs for the next couple of hours.

The party host led them to the room they were assigned to…and while Kelly got the boys out of their coats and boots, Lyssa arranged everything on the tables.

The hardest part was waiting for all their guests to arrive. Andy and Jesse clamored at the window just staring out at all the inflatables…planning their attack.

After what was surely an eternity for the boys…and their dad…everyone arrived. Hermann was there with his family…and his five kids were looking forward to this just as much as the twins…even his teenagers, who were trying to play it cool. Alyssa's brothers…minus Jimmy and his family…arrived with their families. Kelly's cousins Josh and Blake showed up with their kids…as well as a few friends from school.

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Finally they turned everyone loose…

And truth be told, the 'big kids' were having even more fun than the little ones.

There was an obstacle course…you had to crawl through an inflated tube…scale a wall… tumble down a inflatable ramp…race through the "pop-up forest"…that was like being back at football camp in high school…with tackling dummies…up the ten foot "ladder"…and finally slide down a slide…

"Casey…" Kelly said as he looked over the course.

The two lieutenants looked at one another…each knowing what the other was thinking.

"Truck versus Squad?" Casey asked.

"Oh…it's on!" Kelly said.

They rounded up their men…Casey, Cruz and Otis against Kelly, Mills and Vargas…and the challenge was on.

Chief and Benny positioned themselves at the end of the slide as the "judges".

Vargas beat Otis…hands down…then Cruz gained a little ground as he and Mills scrambled through the tubes. Mills got over the wall about two seconds before Cruz…but Cruz caught up on the slide.

And then it was Kelly and Matt as the anchors…and the two lieutenants were running neck and neck as they scrambled over the wall and down the slide.

Kelly's feet hit the floor a nanosecond before Casey's…and Squad was victorious!

The two men looked at one another…trying to catch their breath.

"Two out of three?" Casey said as he straightened up.

"Two out of three." Severide agreed.

Truck took round two…and both "judges" agreed round three was too close to call…

Then a manager came up to Kelly and Casey.

"Excuse me, gentlemen…we've had some complaints…and we're going to declare the obstacle course an "adult free zone" for the next half hour. Give the kids a chance to play too…" the woman said…all business, very polite.

The chastened lieutenants headed back to the party room.

"We're goin' again…" Kelly said under his breath. "Soon as they clear that course…"

"Oh, yeah…" Casey agreed.

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But they never got their re-match…because they got into _another_ contest on one of the other inflatables. This one had two "zones"…and the kids clamored up into the outer zone…and the adults jumped on the inner one…bouncing the kids around like popcorn. And Kelly and Casey were trying to see who could bounce the Andy, Jesse, Connor and Hermann's little guy the highest.

And all too soon the party came to an end.

As Kelly, Casey, Mills and the rest of the team loaded the leftover pizza, the leftover cake and the mountains of gifts into the back of the cars; Mills looked up at the sky.

There was a snow storm forecast for that night…

"Whoever can still move tomorrow's gotta shovel everybody else's walks…" Casey said.

There was a little chuckling…but one thing was for certain. The big boys had played even harder than the little ones.

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There was a package on the front steps when they pulled into the drive. And as Kelly unloaded, Alyssa and the boys tore into the enormous cardboard box.

Inside were about a dozen more presents…some wrapped for birthday and some for Christmas.

"Who's that from?" Kelly asked as he set the last load down on the dining room table.

"It's from Uncle Jonny!" Andy said.

"All the way from London!" Jesse added.

Jonny had been gone for almost six months…and he was getting phenomenal reviews for his title role in Jesus Christ Superstar. He was happy…he told Alyssa when they Skyped once a week…he had made a few friends amongst his fellow cast members…and he was dating. Nothing serious, but just going out again was a big step for him.

The boys were about ready to tear into the pile…till Alyssa stopped them.

"Wait…guys…this one first."

She held up a flat package with a post it note stuck to it that said "open me first".

The twins attacked the paper…and unwrapped a DVD. On the cover was a picture of the two of them and the words "Happy Birthday Andy and Jesse!".

Alyssa handed it to Kelly who popped it in the DVD player.

Jonny's face came up on the screen.

"Hey guys!" he said. "Happy Birthday! I miss you guys _so_ much…and I wish I could be there with you right now…but I'm over here in London. London's a city in England…remember, I showed it to you on the map that time? Anyway…it's a big city…and it's even older than Chicago! There's so many different things here…but because I missed you guys so much I wanted to do something that reminds me of you. So…"

The camera panned around to a building…a firehouse!

"So I went and made friends with some firefighters here and asked them to show me around their house…and I wanted to take you with me."

Jonny went up to a tall man with dark hair and broad shoulders. He held out his hand to the man.

"This is my friend Patrick…he's a Crew Manager…that's what your dad would be over here. Patrick's gonna show us around and show us some of their apparatus and their gear…"

Patrick gave a little wave.

"Andy and Jesse…good to meet you. Your Uncle Jonny told me all about you guys and how you both want to be firefighters when you grow up."

Patrick led them into the station.

"Here at the London Fire Brigade we have a lot of the same stuff you probably have in Chicago…some of it may look a tad bit different…but we get the job done."

He showed them a truck.

"This is our DPL-that stands for dual-purpose ladder. There's about a hundred and seventy five of these in the Fire Brigade. It's our standard vehicle and every station's got one."

Patrick rounded the bright red truck with the neon yellow stripes down the sides.

"The DPL typically carries the ladders…and the extensions. The hoses…about four different sizes, cutting equipment, a portable generator, a portable pump, water-packs, inflatable airbags, road signs, floodlights, a medical kit, hose ramps, general tools, chemical suits and breathing apparatus. We can carry up to 1,350 liters of water…"

Then he led them over to another vehicle.

"This is our ALP…or aerial ladder platform. We use these for for high-rise fires and rescues, or for aerial water dousing and the like."

It looked a lot like Engine 51…

Finally Patrick showed them a third vehicle…that looked like a red and grey box. It had the bright yellow reflective stripes just like the other truck.

"This is a fire rescue unit, or FRU. It's a special heavy-rescue vehicle. Your Uncle Jonny tells me this is what your dad does…

They carry all the heavy lifting, winching, cutting and pulling tools. They have longer-duration breathing apparatus…in case we have to go down into an underground tunnel to rescue some poor guy… portable generators and other specialized equipment. Our FRU crews handle complex rescues, like road or rail accidents, water, mud and ice, urban search and rescue incidents like collapsed buildings, chemical spills and difficult height rescues."

The boys and Kelly sat wide-eyed as they watched with rapt attention.

Next Patrick led them over to show them some of their gear.

"And these are some of our jackets and trousers…I think you Yanks call this "bunker gear"…"

Patrick went through the process of donning his turnouts…

"Daddy…their gear is _red_!" Andy said in surprise.

"Yeah…it looks a little different than mine…but it's all designed to do the same stuff."

Then Patrick put on a bright yellow helmet.

"Okay…_that_ doesn't look a thing like mine." Kelly said. "It looks like a fighter pilot's helmet."

Patrick got out of the gear…and took them around the fire house…

"Look Daddy!" Jesse said. "They gotta slide down a pole!"

The camera showed Patrick sliding down the brass pole from the bunk room to the apparatus room.

Then the tour came to an end…and Jonny came back into view. He made a show of saying good-bye to Patrick and thanking him.

"So I hope you guys enjoyed your tour! I really miss you…and I hope you have a great birthday. I love you!"

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Alyssa clicked the remote to turn off the TV.

"That was so cool!" Andy said. "Can we watch it again?"

Kelly chuckled. He wouldn't mind watching again…in fact he'd probably be taking it down to the firehouse to show all the guys next shift…

"Let's see what else is in here…" he said as he reached into the box.

He pulled out small boxes…one said Andy…one said Jesse.

The boys opened them up…and inside were London Fire Brigade T-shirts…grey with red lettering for Andy…navy blue for Jesse.

While the boys were checking out their new shirts…Alyssa slipped a package into Kelly's hands.

"What's this?" he asked.

Alyssa shrugged.

"I don't know, Baby…but it's got your name on it."

Kelly unwrapped his present…an official London Fire Brigade t-shirt…with a note from Jonny.

"They wanted to trade shirts…" it said.

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And late that night…after the boys were fast asleep…exhausted from their big day Kelly and Alyssa were finally alone.

"I think the day was a success…" Alyssa said. "What about you?"

"The boys had a blast…" Kelly told her. "I don't think I've seen them that happy in a long time…"

She came to him…and slipped her arms up around his neck. He pulled her close to him.

"I don't think I've seen you that happy in a long time…" she whispered.

He tilted her chin upward and leaned down to kiss her gently.

Then he backed away.

"I've got something for you…" he said.

He went to the dresser and reached into the top drawer…withdrawing a small box wrapped in pink paper with a shiny silver bowl.

"It's a 'birthday' present…"

"But it's not my birthday…" she said.

"I know…but four years ago you gave me the most amazing gift anyone could ever give me…a gift I never thought I'd ever get in my life…"

Alyssa slowly unwrapped the paper to reveal a white cardboard jewelry box. She carefully lifted the lid and gasped in surprise.

Lying on the white cotton was a necklace…a gold and a silver heart intertwined.

Kelly took the necklace from the box and carefully gathered Alyssa's long tresses and brought them to the side…over her shoulder. Then he slipped the necklace around her neck and did up the clasp.

He turned his wife to face him…admiring the necklace resting against her silky skin.

"Beautiful…" he whispered as he caught her around the waist.

He drew her closer to him.

"You're beautiful, Lyssa…"


	27. Chapter 27

**January 2019-This Marriage is Over**

The new year got underway… Kelly packed off a bunch of t-shirts to Jonny in London to take over to his new buddies at the LFB…the boys were back to school…and things were getting back to normal. Or at least as normal as they could be when you had twin boys.

Things were getting better at home too. Kelly felt like he and Alyssa had really turned a corner in the past couple months. After some good family time during the holidays coupled with the success of the boys' birthday party…things were finally falling back into place. They even started having people over to the house again.

Vargas was the first…he came over to help Kelly take down the Christmas lights…and was "paid" with his favorite linguini and clam sauce. God…how he had missed that.

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One night, late in January, after the twins were asleep, Kelly and Alyssa were curled up on the living room couch, snuggled under the big, fuzzy throw. Kelly was just enjoying the quiet and the closeness between them. He'd been going almost non-stop at work since the end of December. Every shift, it seemed, there was a fire in the wee hours of the morning…usually the result of a space heater or someone lighting the oven to heat the apartment. One idiot had even tried to use his oven as a fireplace.

Kelly couldn't even look at all the people standing, shivering in the cold and the wind, watching everything they had ever owned go up in flames. All he wanted was to get home to his nice, cozy little house and see his wife and kids safe and sound.

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The moment was shattered by a knock on the door. Kelly and Alyssa both looked at one another…wondering who could be at their door at this hour. Kelly tossed the blanket aside and got up to answer it.

It was Jimmy…Alyssa's brother.

"Jimmy?"

Alyssa's voice came from behind Kelly.

"Jimmy…what are you doing here?" she asked.

Kelly stepped aside to let his brother-in-law in. Jimmy went straight to his baby sister and picked her up in a big bear hug.

When he put Lyssa back down he turned to Kelly. The two men regarded each other as they shook hands. It was kind of awkward…and Kelly tried to remember if Jimmy had ever even been to their house. He and his family were always invited…every party…every birthday…Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving…whatever. But they always had somewhere else they had to be. Usually with his wife Roxanne's family.

Jimmy took off his designer wool dress coat…his cashmere scarf…and folded them neatly over the back of a dining room chair. He may have been dressed casually, in jeans, a button down and a sport jacket…but Kelly figured Jimmy's jeans alone probably cost more than every stitch of clothing he had on.

"What are you doing here, Jimmy?" Lyssa asked again as she came to Kelly's side and slid her arm around her husband.

Jimmy looked kind of lost.

"I'm…I'm not…really sure…" he began haltingly.

He paused, took a deep breath…and let it out slowly.

"Roxanne and I are getting a divorce." He said in a rush.

Alyssa's mouth fell open…

"What?" she said…absolutely shocked. "I don't know what to say…I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be sorry…" Jimmy told her. "This was my decision…it's been coming for a long time."

"Why don't we all sit down…" Kelly suggested.

The three went into the living room. Kelly and Alyssa sat down…and Kelly put his arm around his wife. He suddenly needed that contact…that closeness between them.

Jimmy slowly sank down into a seat opposite them…leaning forward, balancing his elbows on his knees.

"I haven't told anyone…" he said. "I haven't even said the words out loud till just now…not even when I was walking out the door…"

"When did this happen?" Lyssa asked quietly.

"Three days ago." Jimmy answered. "But like I said…it's been a long time coming. Years…"

Alyssa and Kelly shared a quick look between them.

"Do you want me to call Nicky and Joey?" Lyssa asked, turning back to face her brother.

This seemed like something the family needed to address together.

Minus Nadine and Tony Sr., of course.

Tony Sr. wouldn't say a word. He'd just stand there silent as a statue. Nadine would go all hysterical…carrying on like somebody died.

Jimmy nodded. He wanted to see his brothers.

Alyssa looked to Kelly again…and gave him a little kiss as she wiggled out of his arms. She headed for the kitchen to make coffee…and to make phone calls.

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Kelly was left alone in the room with his brother-in-law. The silence was uncomfortable and Kelly tried to remember if he had ever _actually_ had a conversation with Jimmy. He hadn't seen much of the guy in the five and a half…almost six years he and Alyssa had been together.

Come to think of it…he couldn't remember seeing Jimmy and his family since they had graced them all with their presence at Andy and Jesse's baptism. And hustled out the door right after the ceremony.

But the family sure talked about Jimmy…well, actually more about Jimmy's wife Roxanne. Over the years Kelly had heard Joey and Nicky and Mark call the woman every name in the book. And once they had a few beers in them…they really got…creative.

Roxanne was from a super rich family. Her daddy owned some big company…Kelly forgot which one. Roxanne had grown up having everything she ever wanted (and probably more than a few things she didn't even _know _she wanted) handed to her on a silver platter. She'd gone to some snooty private day school in Kenilworth…where the tuition was probably more than Kelly made in a year. She had horses… plural…tennis lessons, all that stuff rich people do.

Her one act of rebellion was marrying Jimmy. If Kelly recalled the story correctly, she had met him at some friend's wedding. Jimmy had been there as somebody else's date…and he immediately tumbled head over heels for the gorgeous debutante.

Jimmy was kind of non-descript. He was like a chameleon…able to blend into his surroundings. He was smart…he knew all the right things to say…how to talk without really saying anything. He had gone to DePaul and majored in accounting…and after he started dating Roxanne…and she had started grooming him to be her husband he'd gone to Northwestern and gotten a Master's degree in Business…on her daddy's dime.

Once he graduated, his father-in-law gave him a job as the Assistant Manager of the Accounting Department. Over the years, Jimmy had worked his way up to Vice President of Accounting.

This was a tremendous source of pride to _some_ of his traditional blue collar family…meaning to Nadine, who seemed to equate financial success with intelligence. Not that Jimmy wasn't bright, but it was all book smarts. He couldn't make a practical decision to save his soul.

When Alyssa had gotten hurt…all those years ago…Nadine had put him in charge. 'Jimmy's gone to college…' she'd say, like that settled everything. But Jimmy didn't want the responsibility. He had no idea what the doctors were talking about half the time. Tony Jr. at least asked questions…got the doctors to explain things so they could all understand. And Joey was usually the one who made the tough decisions. As time had gone on, Joey had included Kelly in all those decisions as well…once everyone saw how good Kelly was for their sister.

"You want a drink?" Kelly asked.

Jimmy nodded. That sounded like the best idea he'd heard all day.

Kelly got up and headed for the kitchen. Even though he had a fully stocked bar down in the basement…they kept a bottle of whiskey and a couple glasses on the top shelf of the pantry…for just such emergencies.

Kelly saw Alyssa was arranging cookies on a tray.

He smiled and shook his head. Alyssa baked nearly every day…and she was back to it again. They usually had enough stuff to stock their own bakery…if they'd had one. Count on his wife to break out the cookies in a crisis.

He grabbed the bottle and the glasses. He went back to the living room and poured himself and Jimmy a shot. They swallowed it down, just as there was a knock on the door.

Another brother had arrived…most likely Nicky, who only had to run across the street.

Kelly opened the door…and the two slapped each other on the shoulders. Nicky shrugged off his jacket and hung it over the back of another chair.

Alyssa came out of the kitchen carrying a tray of coffee and cookies…and the men followed her into the living room.

Nicky and Jimmy hugged…and Alyssa served Kelly his coffee.

Once they were all seated…Jimmy started with the small talk…like they were having coffee after a dinner party. He asked about the kids…work…

It all seemed kind of surreal to Kelly.

Joey arrived next…followed shortly by Mark. They went through the same song and dance while they waited to Tony to truck in from Park Ridge.

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As soon as they were all together…Joey turned to Jimmy.

"Okay…what the hell happened?"

Count on Joey not to mince words.

Jimmy took a sip of his coffee…and looked longingly at the bottle of whiskey still sitting on the table.

But getting drunk tonight probably wouldn't solve anything.

"Well…I left Roxanne…I told her it was over." Jimmy said. "It had been over for a while…"

Everyone waited for him to go on…

"Her refusing to let the kids go to Andy and Jesse's party was just absolutely the last straw." He said.

Kelly bristled at the mention of the twins…and that their cousins had been barred from their party. He had suspected it…and Joey actually said it…but to hear Jimmy say it out loud made his blood boil.

"She always made some excuse…like it was too far or some other bullshit…but this was out in Glenview for Christ's sake…one town away. And we went there for parties before…

"Roxanne's always controlled every facet of our lives. Who our friends are…where we go for holidays…who our kids play with…

"This all started back when Lyssa was in the hospital." He said. "When we were all there…she and I had some absolutely unholy battles about my spending so much time down there."

"But it was your_ sister_…" Joey cut in.

"She was pissed that she had to go to all the events and whatever by herself…she said it was embarrassing that she was the only one there without a husband." Jimmy went on.

"She always thought we were one step off the boat…" Mark muttered. "Like we weren't good enough to be in the same room."

Mark didn't usually say much…but when he did…he was usually right on the money.

"We used to all be so close…not just us…but Nonna and Papa…all the cousins…" Jimmy said. "Now my kids don't even know two thirds of their relatives. They call Mom and Dad_ 'our other grandparents'_."

That was just wrong on more levels than any of the other people in the room could contemplate.

Kelly hadn't had much of a relationship with his family after his mother passed away…but meeting Alyssa had changed all that. He had reached out to his Aunt Kathy…his mom's twin…when he decided to propose.

He looked down at Alyssa's left hand…holding on to his…and saw his grandmother's engagement ring sparkling right beside her wedding band. He was right…when he told his aunt that Alyssa would love Grandma Kelly's ring…and that she'd be proud to wear it. She'd never taken it off…even with all they had been through this past year. Since the day he put that ring on her finger, that's where it had stayed.

And becoming a dad had made him reach out to his cousins…he remembered all the fun he'd had playing with Josh and Blake…all the trouble they got into…and he wanted his boys to have that kind of relationship with their cousins.

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"So what are you gonna do now?" Tony asked. "What can we do?"

Jimmy shook his head.

"I don't know. I can already tell you this won't be an amicable divorce." He said. "I just…wanted…I just needed to have my family around me. I guess I just needed to know that that you've all got my back."

"Of course we do." Alyssa told him.

There were nods of agreement all around.

"Absolutely." Nicky said.

"Any time." Joey agreed.

"Did you need a place to crash?" Kelly asked.

Everyone was silent…nobody had even thought to ask where Jimmy was staying.

"We've got extra room…" Kelly said.

"I've got a room downtown right now…" Jimmy said. "It's not far from my office. At least I've still got a job…for now anyway."

His in-laws were sailing to Bermuda aboard some friend's yacht. Once they got back and Roxanne gave Daddy and earful…he was sure he'd be packing up his desk.

"Have you seen a lawyer?" Tony asked.

"I've got an appointment tomorrow afternoon…" Jimmy answered.

"Do you want someone to go with you?" Nicky asked. "I'm free…"

"I can clear my schedule too." Said Tony.

Jimmy looked relieved.

"That'd be great. I'll text you the time and everything…"

They all talked a while longer…and agreed to meet back at Alyssa and Kelly's for dinner to discuss what the lawyer had said…and to figure out how to break the news to Nadine.

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Once the Boungiovanni brothers had gone their separate ways Alyssa and Kelly carried all the cups and plates and glasses into the kitchen.

Alyssa started to turn the water on to rinse and load everything in the dishwasher… but Kelly reached for her hand.

"Leave it…just for tonight." He said.

Alyssa looked up at him…and she saw the look in his eyes. She quickly dried her hands on a dish towel and took Kelly's hand .

They turned out the lights and climbed the stairs together.

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Alyssa stopped to peek in on the boys…and Kelly went to their room.

He sank down onto Alyssa's side of the bed, suddenly feeling very unsettled.

Alyssa came to him…and she loosely linked her arms around his neck.

He brought his around her tiny waist.

"What is it, Honey?" she whispered.

"I don't know…just everything." He answered. "I mean…I feel bad for Jimmy…and I totally agree with him…but…it's weird. We're still goin' for counseling…for almost a whole year now…and your brother's goin' to a lawyer."

She unclasped her fingers…and gently traced the strong line of his jaw.

"Well…I think what we have is worth fighting for. I don't see that for Jimmy." She said. "I mean…the way she ran the whole show over there…I never liked her. Joey and Nicky always said Roxanne kept his balls in the safe next to her diamonds and pearls. I agreed with them…even if I never said anything."

Kelly chuckled quietly. That was actually one of least colorful descriptions his brothers-in-law had for the state of Jimmy's marriage.

But then they got serious again.

"I just don't want us to end up like that…" he said. "And we came so close…"

"We were _never_ that close, Kelly. I told you…_we're_ worth fighting for."

There was nothing more that needed to be said…and he pulled her closer to him…repositioning himself on their bed. The brought Alyssa to him…turned her gently onto her back…and leaned in to capture her lips in a deep, passionate…all-consuming kiss.


	28. Chapter 28

**February 2019-Past...Present...and Future**

Kelly was headed to the office to pick up a furlough request form. He had decided that this year, come hell or high water, he and Alyssa were going to have their long overdue honeymoon. And after the year they had…they'd earned it.

Never in a million years did he think he'd be going to a therapist…for marriage counseling. He still wasn't comfortable talking about himself or about sharing his feelings. But there was a lot of shit there…emotional baggage or whatever you want to call it.

One thing he knew for certain now…Alyssa wasn't about to leave him. She wasn't gonna walk out on him…like his dad did. She would never cheat on him…like Renee did. She meant what she said on their wedding day…as long as we live. Finally getting that through his head had been a real turning point for them.

And Alyssa was learning to speak up for herself more. She was always doing things for everyone else…for him, for the kids, the guys at the house, her brothers…and putting her own needs last.

It was still hard for her to ask for help…and another thing Kelly had learned was that the little things he did for her…like carrying in the groceries for her…or getting the boys some breakfast so she could take more than three minutes in the shower…that made her feel the most loved. So he made an effort to do those things more often.

It was still a work in progress…but like Alyssa had said to him…_they_ were worth fighting for.

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His phone went off…and he fished it out of his pocket.

It was Eric.

Kelly swallowed hard. It had to be about Renee…and he couldn't go down that road again. Not after what had happened the last time.

He hesitated for another second…but then he accepted the call.

"Eric…" he said. "What's up?"

"Hey, Kelly…" Eric said hesitantly. "Do you have a few minutes?"

"Yeah…whaddya need?"

"I'm outside 51…I've gotta talk to you."

Kelly changed course and headed for the door.

He zipped his jacket up as he stepped out into the February chill.

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Eric was in civilian clothes…with his fists stuffed deep in the pockets of his jacket. He was looking down…intently studying the cracks in the pavement…when Kelly strode up to him.

"What's goin' on?" he said. "What happened?"

Eric took a deep breath…he had a strange look on his face…a cross between shame and despair.

"It's Renee…" he began hesitantly.

Kelly held up his hand to stop him.

"Eric…whatever it is…I can't get involved. I'm sorry."

"No…I don't want you to…but I wanted to give you a 'heads up'…Renee might try to contact you."

"Why?" Kelly asked.

Eric's face hardened.

"She got arrested last night…this morning…whatever. Vice picked her up for solicitation…and she a rock the size of the Hope Diamond on her. So, possession…I'm not sure about intent to sell."

"Shit…"

Kelly just shook his head.

This was someone he didn't know…someone he didn't want to know.

But he felt bad for Eric.

"So why would she be calling me?" he asked.

"She called me this morning…looking for me to bail her out. I told her I wouldn't do it." Eric said with a sigh. "I tried to help her…but she didn't want that kind of help. Well…I'm not gonna piss my hard earned money away so she can get out and go do more of the same shit."

"What about your parents?" Kelly asked.

"Hopefully…she's got enough shame to leave them alone. This'll prob'ly kill 'em…both of 'em." Eric told him. "Anyway…I wanted to warn you. She might call you…"

"I can't get involved…" Kelly said again. "When she came back last year…I almost flushed my marriage…my family…down the toilet. Lyssa and I been going to therapy for almost a year…and we're finally doin' good again."

"That's why I came here." Eric said. "I know I was real dick for a long time…but I'm happy you found someone and moved on. That's what I'm tryin' to do."

"Whaddya mean?"

"I've been seein' this girl…Lily…she's got two boys…Scott and Jeff…they're about the same age as your boys…"

"That's great…" Kelly said.

"Yeah…it is." Eric agreed. "I've got a good feelin'."

Kelly knew exactly where his friend was coming from…

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He was sitting in the common room…filling out his request form and talking to Shay about taking care of Andy and Jesse while he and Alyssa were away…when his phone went off again.

He looked at the caller ID…unknown…

For a moment he wrestled with his conscience…

"Severide…" he said.

There was a voice asking if he'd accept the charges for a collect call.

"Yeah…" he said tersely.

He got up from the table and went out into the hallway where he could have a little privacy. Where he didn't have to look at Shay's face once she figured out who was calling…

"Kelly?" Renee's voice squeaked.

She must be really messed up…he thought.

"Whaddya want, Renee?"

"Kelly…I'm in trouble…big trouble." She said softly. "I…got arrested…"

"And what am I supposed to do?"

"Can you come get me? Can you get me out?"

Kelly leaned back against the wall. This was harder than he thought it would be.

"You want me to bail you out." He said.

"I don't have anywhere else to turn…" she whimpered. "I don't have any money…no place to live…please, Kelly…there's nobody else I can call."

He took a deep breath.

It was really 'gut check' time…

He straightened up.

"I'm sorry, Renee. I can't help you."

"What!? Why not!?"

She turned a complete one-eighty in about a second and a half.

"Because I have a wife now…and two kids. That's where my priorities are." He said. "There's no place for you in my life…not anymore."

"How can you do this to me?! I'm in jail! How can you just turn your back on me?!" She shrieked. "We were engaged!"

"That was twelve years ago. Alyssa's my wife…and I love her. I'm not gonna do anything to jeopardize my family."

Renee switched gears again…

"Kelly…please…you can't leave me in here…I know you…"

"Maybe this is where you need to be, Renee. Maybe you can get some help…and fix the fucked up mess your life's turned into. I really hope you do that."

"Kelly…" her voice cracked in desperation.

"Don't call me again, Renee. I'm done."

"Kelly!"

He clicked the button and ended the call.

Then he slid his back down the wall into a squat. He dropped his head, suddenly feeling all the energy drain out of him.

But he had done it. He did what he had to do.

He took a deep breath and pulled himself back together…straightened up…and headed back to the common room.

He saw Shay standing just outside the door.

She had heard every word.

Kelly closed the distance between them…and Leslie threw her arms around him.

"I'm so proud of you…" she said.

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Then next morning he got home…and found his family in the kitchen.

"Daddy!" Andy yelled as he scrambled off his chair and ran to Kelly.

"Daddy!" Jesse said, about a beat behind.

Both boys threw their little arms around him.

But he was looking at his wife.

He messed up the boys' hair.

"Hey, guys…why don't you go play? I need to talk to Mommy." He said.

The twins reluctantly let go of him and headed out to their playroom.

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Alyssa crossed the kitchen floor to where Kelly was holding his arms out to her.

They held each other tight for a minute or so.

"Is everything okay, Babe?" she asked. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine…" he reassured her. "But something did happen…"

He led her out to the dining room…so Andy and Jesse wouldn't overhear their conversation.

Alyssa's eyes were wide with fear…and the sight tore at his heart.

He reached out to softly stroke her cheek…

And took a deep breath…

"Renee called me." He said softly.

"What about?" Lyssa whispered…not really wanting to hear the answer.

"She's in jail…She got picked up for solicitation…and possession…" he told her. "And she wanted me to bail her out."

Alyssa squeezed her eyes shut…and swallowed hard.

Everything they had gone through…everything they had worked for…

"I told her 'no', Lyssa." Kelly said. "I told her there was no place in my life for her anymore…and never to call me again."

Alyssa launched her entire body into his arms…and he picked her up off the floor.

He held her to him…and he could feel hot tears against his neck.

He set his wife down carefully…and raised her chin up gently with one finger.

"I love you, Lyssa…" he said huskily. "You and the boys…that's all that matters to me."

That was all she needed to hear…and she threw her arms around his neck…and kissed him with everything she had.


	29. Chapter 29

**April 2019-Sapphire Anniversary, Crazy Relations, and The End of A Career**

Kelly rang the door bell at the Garibaldi's house.

"Hey, Mrs. Garibaldi…" he said when she opened the door.

"Kelly! What a surprise! C'mon in…"the old woman said with a smile. "How're Andy and Jesse?"

"They're both a little under the weather." Kelly told her. "So they're pretty cranky today."

"Oh…how terrible!"

Mrs. Garibaldi was very attached to the twins…like any grandmother would be…well, any grandmother except Nadine…who still couldn't accept that she didn't get the son-in-law that she wanted.

"They're fighting off little colds." Kelly tried to reassure her. "But when it's 'times two'…things start to get interesting."

He was standing in the dining room of the house…

"I'm glad you stopped by." Mrs. Garibaldi told him. "I was just about to call over to your house."

"Yeah, well, Alyssa's been cooking up a storm…and she sent some stuff over."

He held up the two shopping bags filled with single meal serving containers.

"We've got chicken and tortellini…pasta fagioli…marinara sauce…meat sauce…sausage and peppers…stuffed peppers…oh, and she sent some pot roast too."

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Mrs. Garibaldi led Kelly into the kitchen so they could put away all the food. He started unloading the carefully labeled containers and stacking them in the freezer.

"Oh…that's just wonderful! I won't have to cook for a month!"

Kelly smiled to himself as he continued to arrange the freezer. That was generally the whole idea. Both Mr. and Mrs. Garibaldi were into their nineties…and while they still had their wits about them…neither one had much energy. So Alyssa sent meals over every week…and made sure they had enough in reserve so they had a home cooked meal every night. She also picked up things from the store for them.

Speaking of which…

"Lyssa said she's going to the store tomorrow…so it you've got a list I can take it to her." Kelly said as he closed the freezer. "Now, was there something else you needed?"

"Hank needs to talk to you."

Mrs. Garibaldi pointed to the downstairs bedroom.

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Kelly was a bit puzzled as he headed for Mr. Garibaldi's room. The old firefighter wasn't usually one for socializing. Conversation tired him…but he managed to find the energy to tell Andy and Jesse a few stories or read them a book every time they came over.

"Hey, Mr. Garibaldi…"Kelly said as he knocked on the door frame.

"Kelly…" the old man wheezed. "C'mon in…I gotta talk to you about somethin'."

Kelly stepped into the room. It was like a hospital room…with the bed and all the medical equipment.

Mr. Garibaldi motioned to the chair beside the bed…and Kelly took a seat.

"What'd you need?" he asked.

Mr. Garibaldi had to get a couple good breaths in…

"You know next month is me and Gloria's anniversary?" he asked. "We been married sixty-five years…"

"Wow…congratulations." Kelly said. "That's really incredible."

"Well you know how some people do a big party thing for a fiftieth or whatever? We didn't do that… 'cause our fiftieth came right after Robert, my son…"

Mr. and Mrs. Garibaldi had a son, their youngest child, who followed his dad into the family business…and he was killed in the line of duty fifteen years ago.

"Any way…we didn't do anything for our fiftieth…and we wanna do something big this year. We ain't getting' any younger."

"What can I do?" Kelly asked.

"My Gloria's got her heart set on having a mass and renewing our wedding vows in church. It wouldn't be a huge group…we ain't got that many folks left. Just our girls and their families…a couple nieces and nephews."

The old man stopped to catch his breath.

"When we got married…my brother stood up for us…but he's been gone for so long…"

Mr. Garibaldi looked Kelly in the eye.

"I want you to stand up for me…when me and Gloria renew our vows."

Kelly was astonished.

"You want me to be your best man?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah…I guess that's what you call it. When we talked about doin' this for our fiftieth…I always imagined my son would be up there with me. But he's gone…my brothers…my cousins…my buddies…all gone. I'm the only one left."

"I don't know what to say…" Kelly stammered.

This was a huge deal…he could see it in Mr. Garibaldi's face.

"Yeah…I'd be honored." He told the old man.

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Dr. Paxton led them into her office.

They were only coming in every three weeks now…

The doctor let everyone get settled. It was a far cry from where they had started almost thirteen months ago…sitting at opposite ends of the sofa…not able to look each other in the eye. Now Kelly draped one arm around his wife's shoulders…and held her left hand in his right. And Alyssa smiled up at him all the time…or sometimes rested her head against his shoulder.

"So how have things been?" Dr. Paxton asked. "Last time you were having some issues over the situation with Alyssa's brother."

Jimmy's ongoing marital troubles had really caused an upheaval in the family. Alyssa's parents had reacted exactly like Kelly had predicted they would…Tony Sr. standing silent as a stone, his hands in his trouser pockets, looking down at his shoes. Nadine had indeed gotten all hysterical…telling Jimmy they were going to all sit down and talk to Roxanne and clear up this misunderstanding…a divorce was unacceptable.

Yeah…that'd work.

But Alyssa and Kelly, all the brothers and their spouses were standing firmly behind Jimmy.

But sometimes it was hard…seeing one marriage crash and burn…and knowing that _they_ were clawing their way back after everything had gone off the rails like it had. Jimmy was spending a lot of time at Alyssa and Kelly's…coming for dinner…watching a game…trying to be part of the family again. But every time he left to go back to the apartment he had rented…Kelly just wanted to hold Alyssa for about an hour.

"Actually…" Alyssa said with a smile for her husband. "We've kind of been concentrating on something else these past few days…"

"And what's that?" Dr. Paxton asked.

"Our next door neighbors invited us to be part of their anniversary celebration." Alyssa said.

"Yeah…they're married for sixty-five years." Kelly added. "It's…a pretty big deal."

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At the start of shift Chief called Kelly and Casey into the office.

The minute they walked through the door both lieutenants sensed the somber mood.

Whatever this was…it couldn't be good.

"Sit down…" Chief said, and he sank slowly into his chair.

Casey and Severide took seats opposite him.

"I'm afraid I've got some bad news…" Chief started. "I was talking to Chief Driscoll over at twenty-first battalion…they were involved in that big mess on the south side last weekend."

There was a huge fire over on the south side…it had started in one run-down house…and spread to the adjacent structures. No smoke detectors…boarded up windows, blocked exits…lots of old furniture…everything that could go wrong did.

There were a lot of people injured…civilians…and firefighters.

"Eric Whaley was working with them…and he was one who got injured."

Kelly and Casey looked at one another.

"What happened?" Casey asked.

Chief sighed. Whaley was a good man…a good firefighter. He'd filled in as a reliever several times at Station 51. He was the one Chief called for specifically whenever Kelly was out…he worked similarly to Severide in terms of leadership qualities. And all the men liked him. It had turned out to be a good fit.

"There was a man trapped in an upstairs bedroom. Bedridden…over five-hundred pounds. Family said he hadn't left that room in almost ten years. Anyway…four men were carrying him down…and a section of stair cracked. They were trying not to drop the victim…but Eric and another man went down."

"So what happened to him?" Kelly asked.

"His back…multiple ruptured discs…vertebral fractures…cord compression." Chief said. "Doesn't look good. They're gonna have to do some major surgery to relieve the pressure. He's not comin' back."

Kelly felt like Chief had just punched him in the gut…he just had the wind knocked out of him.

It was the very thing every firefighter feared…an injury that there was just no coming back from.

Kelly knew that could have been him five years ago if Alyssa hadn't found that Dr. Markowitz. If he'd had the more conventional surgery on his neck…he'd have been history as far as his career.

"He's been transferred to Northwestern Memorial…they've got some top notch spinal surgeons there…so he's in good hands." Chief said.

The Lieutenants nodded…they were still both distracted by the news about their friend.

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When Kelly got home in the morning he told Lyssa about Eric.

He didn't have to elaborate…she knew he was feeling kind of anxious.

Alyssa slipped her arms around his neck and he leaned down to kiss her. Then he pulled her close and tangled his fingers in her long hair.

"Kelly?" she asked. "I told Jimmy he could come over tonight. Do you want me to put it off?"

He thought about it…he would have liked to just be alone with his wife…but Jimmy was going through a really rough time.

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His brother-in-law wasn't kidding when he said this wasn't going to be an amicable divorce. It got real ugly…real fast.

Roxanne was being totally ridiculous in her demands…and her daddy was just feeding the fire. Apparently if you had enough money…people listened to what you had to say. It didn't matter how outrageous it was.

A couple weeks ago, Jimmy had picked up his kids on a Saturday. And he had brought them to Kelly and Alyssa's house to play with Andy and Jesse. Nick and Kathy came over with their three boys, Declan, Aiden and Connor and all eight kids had played together. It was the first time Jimmy's kids, Samantha, Nicole and Garrett had met their cousins.

Kids being kids…once Jimmy's three got over their initial shyness, they all had a great time. Kelly had watched college basketball with his brothers-in-law…and Lyssa and Kathy were looking at some home decorating magazines.

It was a great way to spend an afternoon.

When Jimmy had to take the kids back…and they told their mother about how much fun they'd had…Roxanne had blown a gasket. He took the kids into the _city_?! To where the rapists, robbers, and gang-bangers lived?! And he let them play with those _other_ children?!

That led to a screaming match the likes of which Winnetka had probably never seen (or heard)…and Jimmy had gotten a call from his lawyer that night. After he had left, Roxanne had gotten on the phone to _her _lawyer…wanting to file a restraining order to keep Jimmy from taking the kids to that dark and dangerous place ever again…and exposing them to unsafe individuals.

When Kelly had heard that…he had exploded. They were at a relative's home…in a nice, safe neighborhood…and their uncles were a cop and a firefighter! What the hell was unsafe about that? What is was really about was that Roxanne…who he'd never said more than five words to…thought his kids weren't good enough to play with hers.

It had taken Alyssa all night to calm him down.

"Kelly?" Lyssa asked again. "Do you want me to cancel with my brother? I'll just tell him tonight's not a good night."

He looked down at her…he could see the concern in her eyes…and he could see how very much she loved him. It was a good feeling…and he hugged her close again.

"No…have him come. He needs the family around him." Kelly said.

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Before they knew it…it was the day of the Garibaldi's Anniversary.

Kelly sat in the second pew of St. Pasqual's with Andy wedged in between him and Alyssa. Jesse sitting on the other side of her. When the priest invited the couple to the altar, Kelly stood up and helped Mr. Garibaldi to take those few steps with his walker. Then he took his place beside the man as Mr. Garibaldi promised once again…

"I, Henry, reaffirm my vow, before God, to take you, Gloria, as my wife…to have and to hold, for better or for worse…in sickness and in health…all the days of our lives."

It was a powerful thing…to think that after _sixty-five years_…and all they had seen and gone through…that they were still so much in love. And they were in love…Kelly could see it in the old man's craggy face…and in Mrs. Garibaldi's eyes brimming with tears.

Kelly sent up a prayer that one day he and Alyssa could be standing there, surrounded by their children and grandchildren…and _great-grandchildren_…vowing again to love each other till the end of time.

And he cast a glance back to his family sitting in their seats. Alyssa had taken Andy into her lap and Jesse was nestled close to her side. She smiled at him…and he couldn't help but smile back.

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After the Mass they went to a banquet hall on the North Side…and sat with Mr. and Mrs. Garibaldi and their daughters. They had the typical 'family style' meal…pasta, roast beef, chicken, potatoes, vegetable…and Andy and Jesse ate chicken nuggets and French fries with Andy helping himself to the grown-ups food when he thought his parents weren't looking.

The daughters had hired a man to play the old organ in the corner…to "entertain" the guests. Alyssa flashed Kelly a smile and squeezed his hand underneath the table.

He wondered what she was up to when she approached the ancient organist…and had a quick whispered conversation. Then she took the microphone from the stand.

The organist gave her four bars…and she began to sing an old song…

Mrs. Garibaldi clasped her hands together with pleasure…and Mr. Garibaldi struggled from his seat. Kelly was about to get up to help the old man, when he managed to get to his feet and held his hand out to his 'bride'.

There wasn't a dry eye in the room as Mr. and Mrs. Garibaldi danced…

_Oh, how we danced, on the night we were wed._

_We vowed our true love, not a word left unsaid._

_The world was in bloom, there were stars in the sky._

_Except for the few that were there in your eyes._

Everyone applauded as they danced 'The Anniversary Waltz'…and when they took their seats Alyssa had one more surprise.

_I can't remember when you weren't there_

_When I didn't care for anyone but you_

_I swear, we've been through everything there is_

_Can't imagine anything we've missed_

_Can't imagine anything the two of us can't do_

Her eyes never left Kelly's as she told him that she loved the life they'd made…and she was glad she'd stayed…through the years.

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Kelly went to visit Eric in the hospital.

That was a hard visit…seeing his buddy…a guy his own age lying there, unable to move.

Eric's new girlfriend was there…Lily was her name…and Kelly thought back to all the times Alyssa had taken care of him through his various injuries…both big and small.

Lily gave Eric a kiss…then went to get him the milkshake he asked for from the coffee shop.

There was an awkward silence.

"I don't know what to say, man…" Kelly said. "This really sucks…"

"You ain't kiddin'…" Eric told him.

"What're you gonna do?"

Eric sighed.

"Just as soon as I can…Lily and I…and her boys…we're gonna leave Chicago. He folks are down in Florida…and she wants to be closer to them. And I've got to make a fresh start."

"At what?" Kelly asked.

"Who knows…I guess I'll figure it out when I get there." Eric answered.

Kelly couldn't blame him.

They visited a while longer…then when Lily came back with Eric's snack, Kelly held out his hand to his friend.

"Take care, okay?" he said. "I'll be back to see you soon. Let me know if you need anything."

As he left the room he knew he'd probably be saying good-bye to his friend in a relatively short time.

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_The songs quoted are "The Anniversary Waltz"...which my dad and I sang at my grandparents 50th anniversary...and "Through the Years"..._


	30. Chapter 30

**Early June 2019-See Daddy Work**

Summer time in Chicago meant street fairs and festivals. Every weekend there were dozens of events taking place all over the city. Lots of food…lots of beer. It could make for a good time with family and friends, or it could be a giant recipe for disaster.

There was a huge festival going on right now…about eight blocks from Station 51. Just the night before Kelly and Alyssa had put the boys in the wagon and walked over to look around and have some ice cream. They had a good time. They stopped to listen to a great cover band…and walked up and down the rows checking out all the booths.

Andy wanted to go back for funnel cake…so maybe they'd walk over again tomorrow…

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It was a pretty slow day…a couple ambulance runs…a fire in a dumpster in an alleyway…a car accident.

Then the bells went off…

"Engine 51…Truck 81…Ambulance 61…Squad 3…Narragansett and Irving Park."

"That's gotta be that carnival…" Hermann said as the men threw on their gear.

Maneuvering through the crowd was a nightmare. Kelly was trying to take it all in…as they inched closer to the heart of what was obviously a full scale disaster.

It looked like a war zone.

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CPD officers were trying to hold back the crowds and direct the rigs to where a Trans Am was buried beneath a fifteen square foot stage.

The stage had been set for the band about to go on…and the sound guy was making a few last minute adjustments when a car had come tearing through the crowd and plowed right under the stage and bringing the whole thing on top of it.

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Severide jumped down and immediately began to assess what they were dealing with.

There were five guys in the car…and the sound guy. The Trans Am's roof was almost level with the body of the car…from all the weight on top of it. And there was a shitload of smashed electrical equipment…all hot.

"All right! Somebody find the power source and cut it off!" he ordered. "Then start moving this debris! Mills! Get the Jaws fired up! Let's work fast, guys!"

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Mouch and Otis hurried to disable the generator…and the rest of the team waited for the word that it was okay to start moving stuff.

A few moments later Mouch's voice crackled over the radio.

"Okay…power's off."

"Copy that…" Severide said. "Okay, men…let's move!"

Half the team started digging through to the crushed Trans Am… while Casey and Hermann went to help Shay and Dawson with the injured sound man. In no time at all they had him collared and on a backboard and were rushing him to the ambulance. Dawson and Shay climbed in the back and Otis jumped behind the wheel. Casey secured the door and hit it with the palm of his hand three times to signal them to go.

Then he and Hermann went to jump into the fray of firefighters still trying to get to the Trans Am.

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Kelly had crawled in to see what the condition of the people inside was. No real surprise it was just a bunch of kids.

There were five of them…and it was a tangled, bloody mess in there.

Apparently nobody had heard of seat belts…not that they did a helluva lot of good when there was about a ton of wood and aluminum and God knows what else on your head.

The teens were all groaning…

"Hey! My name's Lieutenant Severide." He said. "Don't worry…we're gonna get you outta here."

Kelly glanced around him and saw a fairly solid piece of wood that he used to shore up some of the collapsed stage. It gave him a stable little pocket to work with.

He yanked hard on the driver's side door. Nothing. It took him about two or three more tries before he was able to force it back.

Getting the driver out wasn't gonna be a problem…but the other four presented something of a challenge.

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The second in ambulance company had arrived and one of the paramedics crawled in. He got the driver collared and the men passed a backboard to the front. Kelly and the medic eased the driver out and secured him. There was a tense moment as Kelly had to pull the kid's right leg out. It was a twisted mess…and his tibia had punctured the skin above his ankle bone.

They hauled the driver out…he couldn't have been more than sixteen…Kelly wondered for a moment if he even _had_ a driver's license.

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At home Alyssa set the laundry basket down on the couch and picked up the remote. She aimed it at the TV to see if she could try to catch some news. When Kelly was on shift she felt like she was on a deserted island with the twins. They just moved from one thing to another like a pair of Tasmanian Devils…usually leaving a path of destruction in their wake. She was constantly running after them…picking up toys, cleaning up a spill…she had no clue what was going on with the rest of the world during those twenty-four hours.

She sank down onto the couch and reached into the basket to grab one of the boys' little t-shirts. But something caught her eye on the television.

"We're live at Merrimac Park where a car has just driven through the festival being held this weekend…" the reporter was saying. "Moments ago a car involved in a high-speed chase with Chicago Police drove through the barricades and through the crowd injuring at least two dozen people before crashing into a stage set up at the northwest corner of the park."

Alyssa's mouth fell open as she watched the horror unfold as the cameras showed an old Trans Am careening out of control, plowing through the booths and food vendors she and Kelly had been at just the day before with the twins.

"Mommy?" Andy said as he came running into the living room. "We're hungry! Can we have a snack?"

Alyssa held up her hand for her son to be quiet for a minute…

The camera had caught Truck 81, Ambulance 61 and Squad 3 pulling up on the scene.

Andy came around the couch to see what his mommy was looking at on the TV.

His little eyes went wide…

"Jesse! Jesse, c'mere!" He cried out. "Daddy's on TV!"

Jesse came running into the living room and skidded to a stop…nearly bowling Andy over.

They could hear Kelly's voice as he hollered out orders to the men.

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Kelly turned his attention back to what was going on inside the car. There were three teen-age guys tangled up in the back seat…he had to get the driver's seat out in order to get to them. He couldn't wait. One of them had a gaping head would…and he was fading fast.

It took a lot of maneuvering with the combination cutter-spreader…but he eventually made a hole big enough to reach in and get the victim out. One of the medics…a tiny woman named Beckwith…was able to wiggle in and get a collar on the kid…then Severide sent up a quick prayer to whoever might be listening and pulled him out.

Again…the team was Johnny-on-the-spot with the back board…and once the victim was secure they hauled him out to the next waiting ambulance.

They repeated the process with the third passenger…

Beckwith was still in the car with the remaining two victims. She had collars on them…and had a compression bandage on the head lac of the guy in the passenger seat…but he was pinned on his right side. They were gonna have to get the door off on the other side in order to get him out.

The last backseat passenger was probably in the worst shape. The section of the roof right where he was sitting was severely compressed and he more than likely had a spinal cord injury. Their best bet was gonna be getting the roof off and lifting him that way.

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Kelly crawled out of the little cave he had created to see where they were at as far as clearing the wreckage.

Casey, Hermann, Cruz, Mouch and a couple guys from Engine 51 were working feverishly…but there was only so much six men could do.

"I want six more men over here!" Severide hollered. "Get this stage off the goddamn car!"

Men came running…and a few civilians jumped in to help as well.

Kelly started throwing boards and busted sound equipment off the pile…directing the rescuers to get key pieces of debris moved.

Slowly they started to make some headway.

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Back at home, Alyssa and the boys couldn't tear their eyes from the television.

"Right now firefighters and paramedics, along with civilians are struggling to free trapped passengers of a car that crashed through a carnival here at Merrimac Park. Witnesses say the car…described as a silver sports car…came from the north on Narragansett. It appeared they were being pursued by Chicago Police. The car crashed through a barricade and tore through the festival grounds, demolishing several display booths and food vendor's booths. Right now I count at least a dozen ambulances on the scene…there are multiple victims…including children. Behind me right now you can see the rescue efforts are underway…" the reporter said.

"Is Daddy gonna get 'em out, Mommy?" Jesse asked.

"I'm sure he will…" Alyssa said distractedly. "We just have to watch."

"Daddy's gonna get 'em." Andy said confidently.

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Finally...Kelly was able to get to the passenger's side door.

Mills passed the Jaws forward…and Severide had the door off in a couple of minutes.

He needed to wedge a ram under the dash in order to free the passenger's legs…and his men passed that forward as well. Now finally he had enough room to work.

Mills took the victim's shoulders and Kelly carefully extracted the legs. The kid had open fractures of both the lower legs…and they got him on a board and carried him out.

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Four down, one to go…

Capp was already at work on the roof of the car…and as soon as he had that off the firefighters lifted the final victim straight out.

Kelly helped to carry the kid…who only looked to be about fourteen or fifteen and get him to the nearest ambulance.

Then he finally took a moment to breathe.

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What a nightmare…

After they had extracted all the victims from the wreckage…and packed off over a dozen more injured from the crowd…the team returned to the firehouse.

What they had overheard from the cops was that CPD had attempted to pull the Trans Am over for a busted tail light. The driver had panicked and accelerated. He led the cops on a high-speed chase for about twenty blocks down Irving Park…then pulled a hard left onto Narragansett. He crashed the barricades and plowed right through the crowds of people enjoying the carnival on a Saturday evening.

They shrugged off their gear and staggered to the locker rooms to clean up…Kelly was absolutely soaked with sweat. He had spent well over an hour in that tiny, cramped little cave the car created when it crashed beneath the stage, bringing the whole thing…speakers, lights, instruments…whatever right on top of them.

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He took a fast shower and changed his clothes. Then he headed for the common room to find something to eat.

He looked out the windows and groaned.

There must have been news teams from every station in town camped out on their front lawn.

Great…just what they needed.

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All night long, the phones in the office were ringing off the hook as the news teams tried to get interviews with the first responders…and it didn't stop.

The next morning Kelly, Casey and the rest of the team had to fight their way through the throng of reporters still camped out in front of the station.

"Let me through…" Kelly growled. "Move out of the way…"

Reporters were shouting questions at him and the rest of the guys as he made his way to his car.

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He half expected at least one of those idiots to try and follow him home. He took the most circuitous route he could to make sure they didn't.

Finally…finally…he pulled into his drive.

He trudged across his back lawn to the back door of the house. He let himself into the four seasons room…a little surprised Andy and Jesse didn't have the place torn apart. But he smelled bacon in the kitchen…

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Kelly came through the kitchen door and stopped short.

Andy and Jesse were waiting for him…bouncing up and down…smiles from ear to ear.

They rushed to him and threw their arms around his waist.

"Daddy! We saw you on TV!" Andy said excitedly.

"Yeah…we saw you working at the carnival to save those people!" Jesse added.

Kelly smiled at his boys and inched forward to the table…both twins still clinging to him.

"What's all this stuff?" he asked as he looked at the table.

"Mommy maked a special breakfast!" Jesse told him.

"An' we helped!" Andy added.

Alyssa stepped forward and Kelly leaned over and gave her a little kiss…it was kind of an awkward angle, because the boys were still hanging on for dear life…

"It looked like you were working hard…" she said with a smile. "We figured you might be hungry…"

"Okay, guys…" Kelly said. "Enough with the hugs…for now. Let's see what we've got for breakfast."

The twins reluctantly peeled themselves off their daddy…and clamored up into their seats.

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Now Kelly could give Alyssa a proper hug…

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He tangled his fingers in her long brown hair and closed his eyes as he breathed in the scent of her lemon shampoo.

It was good to be home.

He slipped one finger under her chin and tilted it up to kiss his wife good-morning.

"You didn't have to do all this…" he whispered.

"We wanted to, Kelly." She said softly. "We're_ so_…proud of you."

She led him to his chair…then planted one last kiss on his lips before she circled around to her own seat.

Kelly pulled out his chair and took his seat.

Then he reached out to fill his plate with Cinnamon Raisin French Toast… and scrambled eggs and bacon…while Alyssa poured him a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice.


	31. Chapter 31

**Late June 2019-Honeymoon**

It had been five years in the making…five years of saving…five years of anticipation.

It had almost not even happened…

But they made it.

On June 21 Kelly and Alyssa would celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. And they were finally going to get their Honeymoon in Paradise.

Seven nights on Paradise Island in the Bahamas…and Kelly couldn't wait.

He had spent hours on the internet at the firehouse…hours conferring with Shay and Dawson…hours going over his bank account…in order to pull out all the stops for a magical and unforgettable time with his beautiful bride.

It had taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to this point, and this payoff was so going to be worth it.

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It had been sixteen months since his ex-fiancée had showed up at the firehouse, broke, homeless, strung out and desperate. She had begged Kelly for help, help it turned out she didn't really want. But he wanted to help her. In some corner of his heart he had still cared for her…maybe even wondered what his life could have been like with her.

But in the end she had turned out to be a manipulative bitch who was only thinking about herself and her next fix. And by the time Kelly had realized it, he had almost destroyed his marriage and his family.

He and Alyssa had eventually admitted that they couldn't handle it by themselves and they had gone to a therapist. They spent fourteen months working with Dr. Paxton…and slowly they had learned to appreciate each other again…to trust one another again.

One of the things Dr. Paxton had had them do was write letters to each other. It seemed silly at first to Kelly. He hadn't sat down to write a letter in…God, maybe ever. He wasn't one for putting things down on paper…he agonized over every word.

But he had done it. He wasn't gonna win any poetry contests or anything like that…but he had managed to get down on paper what Alyssa had done to him when she first walked into his life.

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And Alyssa had written one to him.

Kelly had cried when he read it…he wasn't ashamed to admit it. And he kept it folded in his wallet.

He took it out when he was alone in his quarters at the firehouse.

_Dear Kelly,_

_It seems strange…writing a letter to tell the person you're married to how you feel about them…there are so many things I want to say…I just hope I can get everything down._

_I never believed in love at first sight. I thought that was the stuff of fairy tales and Nicholas Sparks novels. But January 3, 2013, I changed my mind. When I saw you sitting at the bar at Shannahan's I thought you were the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. There was something about you…and I had to meet you…I had to know you. There was simply no other option._

_I figured out right away that you were hiding something, protecting something…and I thought if I could just love you enough, someday you would let me in. The night Brad broke into my apartment I was terrified…not for what he was doing to me…but that I might die that night not ever having gotten the chance to really be with you. When I woke up…and you were there…and you told me you weren't going anywhere…despite all the pain, the fear of waking up in the hospital hooked up to a million different machines, having a machine breathing for me…it was the happiest day of my life. At least up till then._

_After that there were so many happy days…the day you told me you loved me…the day we moved into our apartment…the day we found out we were having twins. Our wedding day was perfect. Seeing you, waiting at the end of the aisle for me…the look in your eyes…hearing you say that I was your best friend…and your one true love. I cry every time I think of it._

_When we held our boys…when we were together for the first time as a family… just the four of us…that was the single happiest day of my life._

_It took me a long time…but I do understand why you wanted to save Renee when she came to you. It sounds incredibly corny…but you really are a modern-day knight in shining armor. It's just who you are. You have the biggest heart of anyone I know, even though you try to hide it. It's just one of the reasons you're able to do the job you do. You have more honor and integrity than any man I've ever met…and you are the bravest man I know. I'm not just talking about running into burning buildings either. _

_I don't know where all this is going to end up…the therapy and all…but I swear to you, I won't give up on us. I truly believe that you are the only man I will ever love and that we are meant to be together. And Andy and Jesse were given to us as a precious, precious gift of that love. We belong together…all four of us…plain and simple. Things may look dark and scary now…but we will get through this time and we will be stronger for it. We'll be better partners…better parents…and better people. I'll never stop believing that._

_I love you, Kelly. I love you with everything I am, everything I have to give. And I'll never stop loving you._

_Alyssa_

_January 15, 2019_

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The bellman opened the door to their room at the Beach Tower Hotel.

It was small…about the size of their room at home…but it had an incredible view of the water.

Alyssa went right over to the sliding doors and stepped out onto the balcony.

Kelly tipped the bellman, then closed and locked the door. He smiled as he crossed the room and came up behind his wife.

"Happy Anniversary, Baby…" he said to her, gently turning her in his arms.

"Happy Anniversary, Baby…" she whispered just before he leaned down to capture her lips in a deep, passionate, all consuming kiss.

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Kelly had booked a special Honeymoon package…and one day they got a couples massage in the spa…another day they swam with the dolphins and explored the Marine Habitat…one day they booked a fishing charter and they went snorkeling and SNUBA diving. Kelly was a certified diver…but Alyssa wasn't so this was the next best thing.

They spent time at the various pools…and played in the water park. And every night they tried a different restaurant. They played in the Casino…and the night club.

Alyssa loved to dance…and she was good at it. Kelly…not so much. But after a few drinks…and a lot of begging and teasing…she managed to pull him out onto the floor.

That didn't last long. With Alyssa pressed up against him…moving her hips against his in time to the pulsating beat…her turquoise blue halter dress clinging to her in all the right places…and the soft silky feel of her skin as he ran his hand across her bare back…

They almost didn't make it back to the room.

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But on June 21…he had that day planned to a T. He had booked a private cabana at the beach for the afternoon…and that night they had a private, candlelit dinner right on the beach. They dined on filet and lobster, roasted potatoes, and steamed asparagus. They shared a bottle of wine…and for desert they were presented with a chocolate sampler…a dark chocolate Bundt cake, a chocolate mint tart, and a creamy milk chocolate cheesecake.

There wasn't a single crumb left.

Kelly couldn't remember the last time he's seen his wife look so beautiful. She wore a white strapless sundress…and it set off her natural olive complexion and her sun kissed tan. Her brown hair was pulled up on one side with a white orchid and swept over her right shoulder with soft curls tumbling down.

She wore barely a hint of make-up…just some mascara and a soft pink lip gloss. But the way her brown eyes shone in the candle light and the soft smile on her lips took Kelly's breath away.

After they had finished their meal he stood up…pulled Alyssa's chair back from the table…and took her hand in his.

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Together they walked along the water's edge…the waves tickling their toes as they lapped the snow white sand.

It was perfect…the night he'd been waiting for all week long…the night he'd been waiting for for five whole years.

He thought back to the Garibaldi's anniversary celebration a couple months before…and he still marveled at how a couple could still be so much in love after _sixty-five_ years. But looking at Alyssa…and the feelings he was having tonight…it didn't seem impossible at all.

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The sun was almost out of sight…a bright, fire red ball hanging low on the horizon. There was a gentle breeze drifting off the water…and there wasn't another soul in sight. Kelly stopped…and Alyssa was a little puzzled when he reached into his pocket and drew out a small, flat box.

"What's that, Honey?" she asked.

In response he slowly opened the box to reveal a silver heart necklace with a light pink shell inlay.

Alyssa gasped when she saw it…she'd been admiring it in the shops since the first day they'd got there…but the man told her the price…and it was too much. He told her to make him another offer…but she wasn't good at that sort of thing.

Kelly took the necklace from the box…and put it back in his pocket. Then he slowly circled his wife and draped the chain around her neck. He did up the clasp…then leaned down to kiss the back of her neck. He smiled as she shivered with pleasure…then he turned her around to face him.

"It's beautiful, Kelly…" she whispered.

"You're beautiful, Lyssa." He told her.

He took her hands in his.

"Five years ago today…you made me the happiest man in the entire world. Because every day I get to call you my _wife_. I know being married to me hasn't always been easy…especially this last year…but you stuck it out…you show me every single day what _real_ love is. I never thought I'd ever have that…but that's what you give me. I promise you, Alyssa…that I'm not going anywhere…I'll never take your love for granted ever again…and I promise you…I'm going to spend every day for the rest of my life trying to make you feel as happy and as loved as you make me."


	32. Chapter 32

**September 2019-The Mob**

A call out around ten at night…typical stuff.

But this call turned out to be anything but typical.

They rolled up on scene…a house fire…already blazing out of control. Flames were shooting up…fifteen, maybe twenty feet in the air…and the smoke was rolling out, black and thick from every window and crack.

They were probably already too late.

And the crowd of gapers seemed especially huge tonight.

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The men jumped off the rigs…

"Severide…" Boden called out. "Give me a primary search…get in, get out…"

"Copy that." Kelly replied.

He quickly issued orders to his team.

"Mills, you're with me. We'll hit it from the back…" he said. "Capp…you and Hadley start at the front. We gotta work fast."

Mills grabbed a Halligan and followed the lieutenant.

Casey was deploying his men.

"Cruz…Hermann…we need to get this place vented." He told them. "Mouch…Otis…get the hose set up."

The men strode toward the burning structure…but the crowd blocked their way.

"Everybody outta the way!" Severide ordered.

But the people didn't budge.

"You all need to move…now." Casey said firmly. "Let us do our job."

A mountain of a man…Geez, the Bears could probably use this guy…stepped forward and crossed his massive arms across his even more massive chest.

"I'm sorry…" he said. "But your services aren't required here."

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Chief pushed his way forward and went toe to toe with the huge man.

"You people need to get the hell outta the way! Let the firemen through!"

"We're not goin' anywhere." The leader stated.

There was a grumbling of agreement amongst the crowd.

"Let that baby-raper burn!" a woman's voice shouted out.

Baby raper? Was she saying there was someone inside that house?

Kelly started to force his way through…but he was met with a wall of people.

"Get the fuck out of the way!" he yelled.

But the man in front of him shoved as hard as he could…and Severide almost went head over heels. He quickly regained his footing, and charged forward again.

The other firefighters were trying to force their way through as well…and not making any more headway than the next guy. There must have been twenty-five or thirty people trying to block their way.

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Suddenly Casey was on the ground…looking stunned. Kelly saw his friend fall…and whipped around in time to see a baseball bat coming right at him!

He instinctively used his right arm to block his head, and the bat struck him across the forearm.

Kelly roared in pain…but then the breath was knocked out of him by a hard blow to the ribs.

He lunged at his attacker…and was struck with another body blow. He pulled back his fist…and hit the guy dead in the face.

All around him firefighters were pummeling the angry mob. And the civilians were striking out with anything they could…bats, crow bars, 2x4's, bricks…and fists.

It was insane! And where were the cops?

After what seemed like an eternity…the firefighters finally heard sirens coming.

Finally…back-up!

The police jumped into the fray and started pulling people apart. Slowly…the situation was brought under control…and once the cops had cleared enough of a path, the second in company was able to get water or the raging inferno that was once some poor SOB's house.

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Kelly staggered over to where the ambulances were lined up waiting to rush people off to the hospitals. His ribs were on fire…and every breath was a new adventure in pain. His arm was throbbing and he just hoped it wasn't broken.

He looked around him…and tried to figure out what in the hell had just happened.

Shay caught him by the shoulders and steered him over to Ambulance 61. She began to peel off his gear and Kelly bit down on his lip to keep from screaming in pain…until he tasted blood.

Casey was on the gurney and Dawson was working on him.

Leslie helped Kelly up into the back and climbed in behind him. One of the firefighters from the second in company climbed behind the wheel and they took off for Lakeshore.

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Alyssa came running in…she had gotten a call from Nicky…who told her that there had been a riot at a fire scene. A mob of angry neighbors had tried to bar the fire department from a burning house! Dozens of people were injured…firefighters, cops and civilians alike…and he had seen Kelly get into an ambulance.

Alyssa had called her brother Jimmy…and he rushed over to stay with Andy and Jesse. While she was waiting for him to get there Leslie had called.

She told almost the same story as Nicky…but she reassured Lyssa that Kelly wasn't hurt terribly.

That was all well and good…but Alyssa would be the judge of that once she saw Kelly for herself.

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Once she was directed back to the treatment rooms…she stopped in her tracks. Over half of Station 51 was there! Hermann was lying on a gurney in a treatment bay with his arm in a sling. Cruz was having a cut above his right eye sutured. Mills had his right hand packed in ice. Chief was being rolled out on a cart.

And Kelly and Casey were sharing another treatment bay. Casey had a bruise that stretched from his left temple down to the center of his cheek…and Kelly had ice on his right arm…and he held another cold pack against his ribs.

"Hey…" Alyssa whispered as she came to her husband's side. "What happened?"

Kelly opened his eyes and relief flooded over him at the sight of his wife standing there.

She leaned over to kiss him…

"You okay, Baby?" she asked.

"I'll live…" he answered.

"Hey, Lyssa…" Casey said.

"Matt…"

She went to give him a little kiss on the cheek…and then hurried back to Kelly's side.

"What the hell happened?" she asked again.

Kelly slowly took a breath…

The ice wasn't doing a damn bit of good.

He reached for Alyssa's hand.

"We rolled up on scene…and the house was already gone…but Chief told us to do a quick search. But this…mob…wouldn't let us through. This one woman said 'let the baby-raper burn'…and we were afraid someone might be inside…so I started trying to push people out of the way…and the next thing I know…Casey's on the ground and some guy's swingin' a baseball bat at my head!"

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Alyssa felt the color drain from her face.

She had never heard anything like that…and the thought of someone trying to hurt her husband…for trying to do his job…

Kelly squeezed her hand…bringing her back to reality.

"Have the doctors said anything, Baby? About when I can take you home?"

Kelly nodded slowly.

"Pretty soon…they said nothing's broken."

He lifted his right arm and Alyssa saw the ugly bruise.

She swallowed hard. How could someone do this?

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Finally the doctor said they could go.

Lyssa helped Kelly with his shirt and they started for the door.

Kelly turned back to Casey.

"You sure we can't change your mind? About stayin' at our place?"

"At least tonight, Matt…" Alyssa said.

They wanted Casey to come home with them…but he insisted he'd be fine at is place.

"No…you guys just go." He told them.

They stopped at the desk, and Kelly signed his discharge papers…then Alyssa gently slipped her arms around him.

A big, burly guy was being rolled by on a cart…heading upstairs to be admitted.

He locked eyes with Kelly.

"I'm gonna sue the city!" he spat.

"Good luck with that." Kelly retorted. "See how far you get."

Alyssa's eyes blazed with anger.

"You oughtta be ashamed of yourself!" she hissed at the man.

The tone of her voice sent a chill down Kelly's spine.

The guy was lucky he was already in a hospital.

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The next morning Andy and Jesse ran into their parents' room…and stopped in their tracks when they saw Daddy lying in bed with Mommy.

The last time Daddy had come home early from work he hurt his leg…and he had to walk with sticks…and go to the doctor a lot.

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Kelly heard the twins come in and he struggled to turn onto his left side. He felt even worse than he had before…every muscle in his body hurt. He felt like Truck 81 ran over him.

Alyssa moved closer and gently put her arms around him. As he burrowed deeper into her embrace and tried to pull himself together she rubbed his back and whispered softly to him.

"Okay…it's okay, Kelly…" she told him. "You're gonna be okay…I love you…"

When he was finally back in control, she kissed him gently.

"I'll go get you an ice pack…"

She slowly eased her way out of bed…then she held out her arms to the boys. She hugged and kissed them and lifted them up onto the bed.

"You guys stay with Daddy…Mommy'll be right back."

Alyssa headed down to the kitchen…and Andy and Jesse studied their dad with worried expressions on their little faces.

Kelly sighed a little…

That hurt…he had to remember not to do that again.

"It's okay guys…" he said. "Daddy just got a little banged up at work…that's all."

"What happened?" Jesse asked.

"We got a call…but some stupid people tried to get in the way and keep us from doin' our job."

"Why?" Andy asked.

Who would try to stop the firefighters from putting out a fire? That didn't make sense.

"Like I said…stupid people." Kelly told them.

Alyssa came back with the ice and some ibuprophen. While Kelly swallowed down the pills she turned the TV on for Andy and Jesse…then gently held the cold pack against Kelly's ribs.

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The story was all over the news.

The house was being rented by a twenty-nine year old man who had been arrested for soliciting an under-age prostitute. He had pled guilty…and he was on probation. But he was a registered sex offender…and his neighbors were aware of that fact. They had been harassing him ever since he had moved to the neighborhood.

Fortunately, he had not been home when the fire started.

But the city was up in arms…the Commissioner was outraged…and he staunchly defended the actions of his men, saying he wished he had been standing there alongside them. The mayor denounced the mob and stated that vigilante justice would not be tolerated in Chicago.

The police department had taken a defensive stance as they came under fire for their slow response time to the incident.

People who took part in the mob tried to defend themselves, hollering that this was their neighborhood and they had the right to keep the perverts away from their families. Some claimed police brutality…and threatened to sue the city.

A lawyer representing the homeowner was also threatening a lawsuit.

Chief was interviewed...from the hospital…and he also defended the actions of his men.

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Kelly snapped off the TV. He was angry…and he was sick of hearing about everything every time he turned on the television or opened a newspaper…of got on the internet.

He was miserable. His ribs hurt like hell…and his right arm was killing him. He could barely open and close his hand without screaming in pain.

The boys were nervous about him being injured…they were trying so hard to be extra good and Kelly's heart melted every time he looked at them.

Alyssa was right beside him…just like always, and she did everything she could to try and make him feel better.

The rest of the team was in no better shape than he was.

At least half of Station 51 had suffered some type of injury.

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The next day, Lyssa took Kelly down to Occupational Health…and there must have been a half a dozen reporters parked out front of the clinic.

They managed to avoid them going in…

The doctor had checked everything out…and thankfully nothing was broken…just bruised. But Kelly was still out for at least three shifts.

Him and everybody else…

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The reporters were still circling when he and Alyssa came out…and they swooped in, surrounding them, trying to get their questions in.

It was ridiculous…how did he feel? What did he have to say to the people who attacked him?

Nothing they could run on the ten o'clock news…that's what he had to say.

"No comment…" he growled as he and Alyssa tried to get around this mob.

But then his anger got the better of him.

"Wait a minute…" he said. "I do have something to say."

Half a dozen microphones were immediately shoved in his face.

"I'm a firefighter for the city of Chicago. And that means everybody in it. I don't get to pick and choose who I protect. When the bells go off…I have to go wherever they need me. That's my job. That's how I make my living and support my family."

Alyssa was standing beside him…

One of the reporters…a woman from Fox News…asked if she had anything to add.

Lyssa looked up at Kelly…

"I'm incredibly proud of my husband and the work he and all his colleagues do. And to the people who took part in this attack…they should remember, that if they ever need to call the fire department for any reason…who's gonna be coming to respond to that call. The same men they attacked with baseball bats and crowbars…"

That stunned the crowd into silence.

"C'mon…" Kelly whispered to her. "Let's go home."


	33. Chapter 33

**November 2019—The Other Side **

Mrs. Beatty and Mrs. Warren opened the back door and twenty pre-schoolers rushed out to join twenty more pre-schoolers on the playground.

It had been raining all week…and this was the first time the kids had gotten to go outside. And they couldn't wait.

The four teachers and four assistants that patrolled the playground tried to keep an eye on everybody…

Suddenly there was a blood-curdling scream…and the two teachers rushed over to the jungle gym where Andy Severide was sitting on the ground holding his right arm.

Mrs. Beatty tried to calm the hysterical little boy and figure out what was wrong…and Mrs. Warren rushed to notify the director and call 911.

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Ten blocks away at Station 51 two calls came in almost simultaneously.

"Ambulance 61…6143 W. Irving Park…"

Kelly's phone went off.

"Severide…" he answered.

He could feel the blood draining from his face as he listened to what the caller had to say.

"I'll be right there!" he said.

He clicked off his phone and ran out to the apparatus room just as Ambulance 61 was about to pull out.

He jumped on board…

"It's Andy…" he told Shay and Dawson.

That was all the explanation the two paramedics needed.

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They arrived at St. Pasqual's in about three minutes.

Ms. Monahan, the director of the pre-school was waiting to let them in the gate.

As soon as his feet hit the ground Kelly was running over to his son. He could hear him screaming.

Kelly dropped to his knees beside Andy. Mrs. Beatty was still trying to calm him…and not having much success.

"Andy…Daddy's here, Buddy…" Kelly told him. "Aunt Leslie and Aunt Gabby are here…we're gonna take care of you."

Andy's breath was coming in ragged gasps…he was crying so hard he'd begun to hyperventilate.

Shay and Dawson took over…laying the little boy back and getting him some oxygen.

The rest of the children were corralled on the other side of the playground…and a nearly hysterical Jesse broke free and ran over to where Kelly and the paramedics were crowded around his brother.

"Daddy!" he cried.

Kelly turned quickly and caught Jesse in his arms.

"Daddy!"

"Shhh…it's okay, Jess." He told his son. "Andy's gonna be okay…"

Jesse's bottom lip quivered as he tried to calm down…and Kelly wiped the tears from Jesse's face with the pads of his thumbs.

"Everything's okay…" he said again. "I need you to go back with your teacher, okay Jess? I'm gonna go with Andy to the hospital."

"What about me?" Jesse whispered…his eyes filling up with tears again.

He had never been alone at school before…never without his brother.

"Uncle Matt…or Uncle Pete…or one of the guys'll come get you when school lets out. They'll take you back to the firehouse."

"Kelly…we're ready." Shay said.

"Okay…" Kelly hugged Jesse tight. "Go with your teacher."

Mrs. Beatty held out her arm and ushered Jesse back over to the group.

Jesse looked after his brother…Aunt Leslie and Aunt Gabby were putting him in the back of the ambulance…and Daddy was climbing in behind him.

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Leslie was trying to peel off Andy's jacket as gently as possible…and Kelly felt his heart stop every time the little boy screamed.

Once they had his jacket off he tried to soothe Andy…

"It's okay, Buddy…all done…" he told him as he stroked his son's hair back. "It's all done now…"

He turned to Shay…

"Can't you give him something?"

"You want him to have morphine?"

"Just do it!"

He couldn't stand to see Andy in pain.

Shay drew up a dose of morphine…and Andy screamed even louder when he saw the needle.

"No!" he cried. "I want Mommy!"

"Andy…it's medicine…it'll make your arm feel better." Leslie tried to reassure him.

"No!" he cried again. "Mommy!"

Shay looked at Kelly…

"Andy…" Kelly tried to calm his son. "Andy…Aunt Leslie's not gonna hurt you…she's just gonna give you something to make your arm stop hurting…"

While he had Andy distracted…he motioned to Shay to give him the shot.

Shay swallowed hard and did it.

This is why you didn't treat family if you could help it…

Andy screamed again when he felt the needle go in…

"Mommy! Mommy!"

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They pulled into the ambulance bay.

"Four year old male…probable right arm fracture…1.8 mg of morphine given in route." Shay told the resident who met them at the door.

They brought Andy to a treatment bay…and the resident tried to examine him…

"Andy…" Kelly told him. "The doctor's gonna help you…"

"Mommy…" Andy whimpered.

"Mommy'll be here real soon, Buddy. She's coming."

"Are you his dad?" the resident asked Kelly.

"Yeah…"

"I don't feel good…" Andy whimpered again. "My tummy's barfy…"

The nurse grabbed an emesis basin just as Andy threw up.

"Let's get him some Zofran…" the resident ordered.

Once the anti-nausea drug was on board…the nurse cut Andy's shirt off…and the x-ray tech came in with the portable machine.

No way was Kelly about to step out of the room…so he donned a lead apron and continued to try and soothe his son…who still wanted his mommy.

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Alyssa finally arrived just as they were rolling the x-ray machine out.

It was a relief once she got to Andy's side…for everyone.

Once Andy was calm he was able to tell them that he had been climbing up the outside of the jungle gym and he had slipped over the side when another kid tried to get in front of him.

The doctor came in to examine Andy again…

"I just reviewed the x-rays…" he told Kelly and Alyssa. "There's a mid-shaft fracture of the radius…and some impaction at the wrist. I've called Dr. Torrance, he's a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, and he'll be coming down in the next hour."

A nurse came in to start an IV…and Andy got hysterical again.

Alyssa gently turned his little face to look at her and she was able to block his view from what was going on. She hummed something softly, under her breath, as she soothed her little boy.

Kelly watched…wincing every time Andy screamed. He wished he could hold Andy and protect him…but Andy wanted Alyssa…and she was way better at this than he was.

He thought of all the times she had done just the same thing for him…

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Casey hurried downstairs to the pre-school classrooms at St. Pasqual's.

Kelly had called from the hospital and asked Casey to go get Jesse…so Matt rushed right over.

He found his godson sitting alone at a table with one of the teachers. Jesse was obviously upset…his little cheeks were stained with tears. The teacher was trying to get him to drink a juice box.

Casey knelt down beside Jesse.

"Hey, Buddy…" he said softly.

Jesse looked up. His lip started quivering.

"Uncle Matt…Andy fall off the jungle gym…an' Aunt Leslie an' Aunt Gabby an' Daddy took him away in the ambo!" he cried.

Matt reached out to rub the little boy's back.

"I know, Buddy…Daddy called me. I'm gonna take you back to the firehouse, okay?"

Jesse nodded.

The teacher brought Jesse's coat and backpack over…and Matt slipped it on his godson. As he stood to take Jesse, she handed him Andy's red backpack as well.

He led Jesse out to the car.

"Why you driving Daddy's car?" Jesse asked.

"Because I needed your seat…and my truck doesn't have a back seat, remember?"

He strapped Jesse in…

"Okay…ready for takeoff?" he asked. "Uncle Pete was about to get lunch ready. Let's get back before the guys eat it all.."

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It was taking forever in the ER. There was a big pile-up on the Dan Ryan and about eight ambulances pulled up one right after another.

Alyssa had managed to get Andy to sleep…and she sat beside him gently running her fingers through his hair.

Kelly was pacing back and forth across the room. Waiting had never been his strong suit. And he hated hospitals. You'd think all the time he'd spent around them would make him immune to it…but no. He'd rather have his fingernails pulled out one by one than wait around a hospital.

"What the hell's taking so long?" he snapped.

Alyssa looked up at him.

"You saw what they brought in…" she said softly…like she was still talking to Andy. "You're just used to the express lane. You're not used to looking at things from the other side."

She was right…there was kind of an unspoken rule. Firefighters usually got damn good service. He'd never had to wait long for anything.

"Did you check on Jesse?" she asked, trying to distract him.

Kelly nodded.

"Yeah…Casey said he was pretty shook up when he went to get him. But Mills was stuffing him full of grilled cheese sandwiches."

"Our son? Ate a sandwich?" Alyssa asked. "With bread and everything?"

Neither of the twins liked sliced bread…they ate the meat and the cheese…but left the bread. Once in a blue moon, they might eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich…

"Yeah…Casey said he loved it. He even had seconds."

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Mills had set the plate down in front of Jesse, who looked at it like he expected it to take off and fly.

"I don't like sandwiches." He said.

"This is _special_ sandwich, Buddy." Mills told him.

There was a tense moment…Jesse looked like he was about to burst into tears again.

"I'll tell you what…" Mills said, kneeling down beside the chair. "Try it…and if you don't like it, I'll fix you anything you want…_and_ I'll polish the chrome on the truck!"

Polishing the chrome on Truck 81 was a job the men always gave the twins whenever they came to the firehouse.

Jesse still wasn't sure…but he cautiously picked up one of the triangles and took a teeny, tiny bite.

It was good!

He took a bigger bite…and a smile spread across his face.

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Finally…finally…the orthopedic surgeon arrived in the ER.

He came to talk to Alyssa and Kelly.

"Mr. and Mrs. Severide?" he said. "I'm Dr. Torrance. I just finished looking at Andy's x-rays."

"How bad is it?" Kelly asked.

"There's a complete break right here…" the doctor said, indicating to his own forearm. "In the radius. That's the larger of the two bones. There's also what we call a buckle fracture of the ulna."

"The other doctor said something about impaction?" Alyssa asked.

Dr. Torrance nodded.

"There's a slight impaction at the wrist. What I'd like to do is a closed reduction. We'll give Andy some sedation…and I'll set the bone manually. Then we'll get another x-ray to make sure everything's lined up."

That sounded painful.

"Are there any other options?" Kelly asked.

He just didn't want to see Andy go through a painful procedure.

"We can admit him…and do the reduction in the OR with fluoroscopy…and give him a general anesthetic." Dr. Torrance said. "But I'd prefer we try this first…"

Kelly was about to tell the guy he didn't give a damn what he'd prefer…but Alyssa gave him a little squeeze.

Then he remembered that she had had a problem with anesthesia once…after she was attacked…the second surgery to set her jaw. She had a reaction and her blood pressure dropped down really low. She had almost died.

Kelly nodded.

"Okay…we'll do it." He said.

Dr. Torrance went to prepare for the procedure.

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"But what _makes_ it a special sandwich?" Jesse asked Mills as they sat polishing the rims on the truck.

"It's the secret ingredient, Buddy…" Mills told him with a grin.

"What is it?"

"Well, then it wouldn't be a secret anymore."

Jesse just opened his big blue eyes wide…and turned his bottom lip out.

Mills burst out laughing.

"Oh, no…that face's _not_ gonna work with me. Maybe with Aunt Gabby and Aunt Leslie…but not me!"

"Please?" Jesse tried again. "Please, Uncle Pete? I won't tell…"

But Mills shook his head.

"Nope…I could tell you…"

Jesse's face lit up…

"But then I'd have to…tickle you!"

Mills reached out to tickle Jesse's side.

Jesse squealed.

"No! No tickles!"

Mills laughed again…and pulled Jesse in for a hug.

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Kelly and Alyssa waited on pins and needles for the procedure to be over with.

A couple times they had heard Andy whimper…and Kelly just clenched his fists.

Alyssa wrapped her arms around him and just rested her head against his chest. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then held her tight.

The second x-ray showed a good alignment…so the physician assistant placed a long arm splint and they let Andy wake up…

Once he has awake and had had something to eat and drink…the nurse fitted him with a sling and Kelly signed his discharge papers.

Since they had to cut his shirt…Andy had to wear a gown…and Alyssa gently slipped his coat around his shoulders. Then Kelly picked his son up and carried him to the car.

They drove to the firehouse to pick up Jesse…and when Kelly walked in, his son was sitting at Squad's sacred table with Mills, Capp and Casey playing Go Fish.

"Jeez…I'm gone one afternoon and you're lettin' Truck move in at our table?" he said.

"It's a comfy chair..." Casey said. "Now I know why your butt's always in it.

"Daddy!" Jesse cried as he hopped off his chair and came running over. "Where's Andy and Mommy?"

"They're waitin' in the car…" Kelly told him. "Let's get your stuff…"

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As they drove home Jesse told them all about his day…

It was weird to hear just him talking…usually the twins kind of played a verbal game of leap frog…each finishing the other's sentences. But Andy was still pretty out of it.

Kelly carried Andy into the house and Alyssa came behind him with Jesse. When they got inside all Andy wanted was for Alyssa to hold him. So she curled up on the couch with her son in her lap.

Kelly helped Jesse put away his stuff and started looking for something for them to have for dinner.

He settled on mac 'n cheese and chicken nuggets.

Jesse went out to the living room…but he came back in just a few minutes.

"How come Andy don't wanna talk to me? He just wants Mommy…"

"Your brother doesn't feel so good. His arm hurts." Kelly explained. "It's just like when you get sick…you just want Mommy then too."

Jesse thought about that for a moment.

"And you do that too." He said. "When you get hurt…you just want Mommy to hold you!"

Kelly flushed from embarrassment at his son's observation.

He shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess Mommy just knows how to make us feel better."

"Did your mommy know how to make you feel better?" Jesse asked.

Kelly looked up in surprise.

He wasn't expecting that.

They'd really never talked a lot about his mother.

"Things were different when I was a kid." He said carefully. "My dad didn't live with us…and my mom had to go to work. I stayed at my grandma's a lot…then when I got older I could stay by myself."

"But what if you got sick?" Jesse asked.

"Sometimes my mom stayed home…if I was really sick. But if it was just a little thing like a cold…then I went to my Grandma Kelly's."

"Was your mommy like my mommy?"

Kelly had to think about it.

Alyssa was more laid back than his mom had been. Maggie Severide had to have everything planned down to the smallest detail…because sometimes there was no margin for error.

His mom had worked as a sales clerk at Marshall Field's down town. She didn't make a lot, so every penny was strictly accounted for.

But one thing Alyssa and his mom had in common…family was everything. She was devoted, not only to Kelly, but to her parents and her sister…her two nephews…and a handful of cousins.

"I think my mom and your mom would have really liked each other. I think they would have been real close." He finally answered.

"Would your mommy like me?" Jesse asked. "And Andy?"

Kelly stopped what he was doing and picked Jesse up into his arms.

"Grandma Maggie would have _loved_ you…and Andy. I'm just sorry you never got a chance to meet her."

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Late that night, Kelly and Alyssa woke up to the sound of someone crying.

"Mommy…Mommy…"

Andy was awake.

Alyssa started to get out of bed.

"You rest, Lyssa…" Kelly told her as threw back the covers. "I got this one."

"Are you sure?"

He kissed her gently.

"Go back to sleep."

He went down the hall to the boys' room.

"Shhh….Andy…don't wake your brother up." He whispered as he carefully picked the little boy up out of bed.

"Where's Mommy?"

"She's sleeping, Buddy…Daddy's gonna take care of you."

He carried Andy downstairs to the kitchen and sat him on the counter. Then he drew up a dose of the Tylenol and codeine they had given them at the hospital.

He shot the syringe into Andy's mouth…then he picked him up again. He grabbed a cold pack from the freezer and made his way into the living room.

Kelly settled onto the couch with Andy nestled in his lap. He gently laid the cold pack against Andy's arm…then reached for the fuzzy blanket and wrapped it around the both of them.

"It's okay, Andy…Daddy's got you, Buddy…"

And that's where Alyssa found them in the morning…asleep on the sofa.


	34. Chapter 34

**February 2020-Going All the Way**

Kelly had been planning Valentine's Day for a month. And this year he had some new partners in crime.

He and Alyssa hadn't done anything special for Valentine's Day the past couple of years…when they first got married, right after the twins were born he had whisked his bride away for a night downtown…their first night out post babies. They'd done the same thing the next year…and the year after that.

Then everything had gone horribly wrong…and it was high time they got back on track.

Things were finally good again…they were closer now as a couple than they had ever been…the boys were back to their usual selves. Andy was back to eating them out of house and home…and he was into everything…making up for lost time when he was sidelined with a broken arm…and Jesse was just trying to keep up.

One thing Kelly had learned about his wife in the year and a few months that they'd been in counseling was that Alyssa needed to know that he thought her contributions to the family mattered. She wasn't out there bringing home a paycheck…but she wanted and needed to be appreciated for the things she did to keep their lives running at home.

The thing she loved the most was when he would take care of the boys so she could do something for herself…read a book, go get a manicure, take a hot bath…whatever.

Well…she was in for one hell of a surprise.

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The discussion started after Christmas. Kelly had been sitting in the living room with Alyssa's brothers, Nicky and Jimmy watching the basketball game. Alyssa was in the kitchen with Kathy cooking dinner, and all the kids were scattered around the house playing whatever.

Kelly was happy…he was content. He'd never imagined himself in such a state of domestic bliss. He had cozy house…he was gonna have a great dinner in a little while…he had a wife who he loved more than life itself…and two boys he'd do anything for.

Alyssa came out to the living room with a cold beer for him…he didn't even have to ask.

As he watched her go back to the kitchen he wanted to do something for her.

"Hey, Nick…what's the biggest thing you ever did for Kathy?" he asked.

"I don't know…why?"

" 'Cause I wanna do something special for Lyssa…I want to make her feel like a queen for a day or somethin'."

Nicky looked over to his brother.

"There he goes…trying to show me up again." Nicky said with a grin. "He takes his wife on a pull-out-all-the-stops honeymoon…and now he wants to top that."

"I didn't say "top it"…" Kelly said. "Maybe match it…but I can't take a week off. Not it we're gonna go to Florida in a couple months."

"Get her a spa day." Jimmy suggested. "Roxanne and her friends used to do that all the time. There's five-star salons downtown…they would take a limo down and blow a whole day on massages, mani-pedi's, facials…the whole nine yards."

"That sounds perfect…" Kelly said.

"It's not cheap." Jimmy warned.

"I don't care…" Kelly said.

Alyssa would love being pampered for a whole day!

Nicky sighed.

"Why don't you do that for Kathy?" Kelly suggested. "We could go in together…send them off for a day…then join them for dinner or something?"

"When?" Nicky asked.

"Do it on Valentine's Day." Jimmy said.

"What about the boys?"

"I'll take 'em…Andy and Jesse too. I'm sure I'll have my kids that weekend…now that Roxanne started dating again…"

"What?" Kelly asked incredulously.

He couldn't imagine who in their right mind would want to date Jimmy's stuck-up (not) soon (enough)-to-be ex-wife.

"Yeah…all her girlfriends are trying to fix her up. They do everything in matching his-and-hers sets…and a single person just throws off the whole aesthetic." Jimmy said ruefully.

Rich people didn't have enough to think about…

"So are we doin' this?" Kelly said.

"Yeah…what the hell." Nicky agreed.

"Jeez, Nick, I never knew you were such a hopeless romantic." Jimmy said sarcastically.

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On Valentine's Day morning Kelly came home after shift. Alyssa was in the kitchen checking out her favorite recipe book.

"Hey, Babe…" he said as he leaned down to kiss her. "Happy Valentine's Day."

She smiled up at him…

"Happy Valentine's Day, Baby…" she said. "I was just thinking about what I could cook for dinner…"

"You don't have to worry about that." He told her as he took her by the hand.

He led her out of the kitchen.

"You need to get ready…the car'll be here in about a half hour."

"What are you talking about? What car?"

Alyssa was thoroughly confused.

Kelly had a smile on his face a mile wide.

"You and Kathy are going for a day at the Red Door Spa downtown…Nicky and I took care of everything. And you're getting picked up in half an hour!"

"Are you serious? You better not be joking, Severide."

"Of course I'm serious!"

He looked into her beautiful brown eyes.

"You do so much for me, Lyssa. For me and the boys. And I don't always say 'thank-you' like I should. So today…it's all about you."

"But what about Andy and Jesse?" she asked.

"I got it covered." He said. "We're gonna hang out today…then they're gonna sleep over at Jimmy's with their cousins…and Nicky and I are meeting you girls for dinner…and we got rooms at the Peninsula."

"Did you win the lottery and forget to tell me?"

Kelly chuckled…and leaned in to kiss her.

"We haven't done our usual Valentine's Day getaway for the last few years…so I've got a little something socked away…"

Alyssa just shook her head in disbelief.

Kelly called the boys in from the playroom.

"Hey, guys…come say 'bye' to Mommy. She's going out with Aunt Kathy for the day."

Andy and Jesse came thundering in.

"Where're you goin'?" Andy asked.

"Can we come?" Jesse added.

"No…" Kelly said. "You can't go…this is a Ladies' Day. You're gonna hang out here with me…then you're goin' to Uncle Jimmy's for a big sleepover with Samantha and Nicole and Garrett…and Declan, Connor and Aiden."

"A Cousin's Party!" Jesse said, clapping his hands.

"That's right." Kelly told him. "Now…give Mommy big hugs and kisses. You'll see her tomorrow afternoon."

The boys ran forward and threw their arms around Alyssa.

"Kelly…I don't have anything packed…" she said as she held her boys.

"I'll take care of it…" he told her.

Out the window he saw the limo pull in the drive.

"Car's here…" he said.

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Andy and Jesse ran to the window.

"Look at that!" Andy said. "That's so cool!"

"I wanna ride in there!" Jesse chimed in.

Kelly couldn't help but smile at the sight of his boys…faces pressed against the picture window…just staring at the shiny black car.

Kelly helped Alyssa with her coat…and kissed her one last time.

"You better get goin'…I'll see you later at the Peninsula…"

He reached out to brush her hair back.

"We're gonna have such a great time…"

Okay…_one_ more kiss…

He walked her outside…the boys bringing up the rear.

Nicky walked across the street with Kathy…who looked as stunned as Lyssa.

The girls got into the car…and Kelly and the boys waved to her as the driver pulled out of the drive.

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Alyssa and her sister-in-law just stared as the limo pulled up in front of the Red Door. They couldn't believe their husbands had really done this…

They wandered into the front lobby looking like Dorothy just arrived in Oz.

"May I help you?" the young lady at the front desk asked.

"I think we have reservations…" Alyssa said hesitantly.

"May I have your name please?"

"Alyssa Severide. S-E-V-E-R-I-D-E."

The girl typed it into the computer and pulled up the reservation.

"Here we are…" she said with a smile.

She hit a couple keys and the machine spit out a print out.

Alyssa could have fainted when she saw the custom package Kelly had had put together.

A facial…a massage…a milk and honey sugar glow body scrub…mani-pedi…hair and make-up…

Good God…this had to cost a small fortune.

Kathy gave her name…and saw that Nicky had done the same thing for her.

"Okay…" Kathy said as she read over the list. "They get major 'husband points' for this…"

"You ain't kiddin'." Alyssa agreed. "Kelly can forget every birthday…every anniversary…for the rest of our lives and it'd be okay."

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Kelly got the boys their lunch…

"Daddy…why did Mommy go in the big car?" Andy asked.

"It's a special treat. Mommy does so much to take care of us…so she went someplace where people are gonna take care of her…she's gonna relax…and spend the day with Aunt Kathy…she's gonna love it."

"Why she gotta go someplace?" Jesse asked. "Why can't she have fun here?"

"Because I know your mom…she'd see one more thing she needed to do…today's gonna be all about her." Kelly answered. "Now…let's eat…so we can go get all your stuff ready for your Cousin's Party."

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He breathed a sigh of relief when Leslie arrived to help him.

"Thank God you're here…" he said. "I have no idea what to pack for Lyssa for tonight."

He said he'd take care of everything…but when he opened the closet to get something for his wife to wear…he didn't have a damn clue.

Leslie smiled knowingly…of course he'd have no idea what to do…

While he got the boys pj's and toothbrushes together, she selected a black lace dress, black satin peep-toes…and a single strand of pearls. She added a pearl and "diamond" bracelet and matching earrings…and packed a nice casual outfit for the next day. She gathered the essentials and the toiletries Kelly would have never thought of…and closed the overnight bag.

Then she pulled Kelly's black suit from the closet…and put together an outfit for him to wear.

She was just zipping the hanging bag when he came into the room.

"Okay…I got the boys packed up…"

Leslie'd just check that over to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything…

She nodded.

"This is a really good thing you're doing, Kelly." She said. "Lyssa's gonna absolutely love it."

"I couldn't have done it without your help." He told her. "All those spa treatments…milk and honey…olive oil…what are they doing? Cookin' a damn dinner?"

Shay just rolled her eyes.

"You're such a guy…"

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What a day…Alyssa thought as she sat in the chair getting her hair done.

She had a massage…then a dip in the mineral pool. She'd had a full body scrub and a facial…followed by a light lunch and a mani-pedi. Now she was getting her hair shampooed and styled…then she was getting her make-up done.

After that the limo was coming back to take her and Kathy to the Peninsula Hotel…one of the ritziest hotels in the whole city.

She'd never even been inside there.

She couldn't believe Kelly had done this for her. Their honeymoon to Paradise Island had been an incredibly extravagant, once-in-a-lifetime experience…and now this amazing Valentine's Day gift?

Kathy was even more floored than she was…she and Nicky had been married sixteen years…and never, ever had he done anything like this for her. She was pretty sure Kelly had put him up to it.

Kathy glanced at her sister-in-law in the mirror. Alyssa looked so happy…so peaceful. For a long time she hadn't…for a long time she had been so depressed…but she never said anything. Kathy had tried to get it out of her…especially when she got so sick…when her weight dropped and she looked like she was starving to death. But Alyssa would never tell her the whole story.

But whatever it was seemed to have passed now.

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Kelly and Nicky were waiting in the lobby at the hotel when the girls finally arrived.

As he stood to kiss his wife…Kelly felt himself go a little weak in the knees. Alyssa was positively glowing…and it wasn't just the facial and the milk and honey whatever. Her eyes were shining…he loved to see that. There was a time he feared that light might be gone forever.

He kissed her carefully, so as not to ruin the sixty dollar make-up job.

If Alyssa knew what he'd spent on that spa she'd probably kill him. He'd had a mini-heart attack himself when he had heard the grand (more than a grand) total.

But seeing how happy she was made it all worth it. He'd just pick up a couple extra shifts…no big deal.

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They took the elevator up to their room…and changed for dinner.

Kelly couldn't help the feelings stirring up inside him as he slowly…reluctantly zipped Alyssa's black lace dress. He'd much rather be un-zipping it…

She turned slowly…and he admired the way the dress hugged every curve.

"You like it?" she asked.

He reached out to circle her tiny waist and pulled her flush against him.

"Whaddya think…" he answered.

Alyssa giggled.

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They went out for dinner…to the Devon Seafood Grill around the corner…the place supposedly had the freshest fish in the city…but Kelly barely remembered what he ordered. He was too busy thinking about what he had planned for later.

He closed the door behind him and tossed his jacket over the back of the couch.

"C'mere…" he growled as he pulled his wife into his arms, and captured her lips in a deep, passionate, all-consuming kiss.

In no time at all he had her dress unzipped…he slid it over her delicate shoulders and let it drop to the floor.

Alyssa blindly worked the buttons of his black dress shirt…and his belt buckle…and finally his zipper. She stepped out of her heels and Kelly easily lifted her into his arms. He carried her bridal style and lay her on the king sized bed.

Once he joined her, he quickly did away with her black lace bra and panties…and then he took his time. Time to savor every beautiful inch of her…to run his fingers through her hair…to caress her silky smooth skin…to feel her, soft and warm against him.

As he pulled back to look deep into her eyes…the depth of the love he saw there never failed to astound him…

"I love you…" she whispered breathlessly…right before he leaned in to kiss her again.

"I love you…" he whispered back when they came up for air. "Happy Valentine's Day, Baby…"


	35. Chapter 35

**May 2020—Family Vacation**

They were in one of those flea bag, pay by the week hotels…the place full of old furniture, old mattresses…they probably still had lead based paint.

Lots of thing that could burn for a long, long time. Lots of things that could make toxic fumes.

"Casey! Severide! Get your asses outta there right now!" Boden's voice came over the radio.

They didn't have much time…that was obvious.

The two lieutenants herded their men and the last few civilians down the stairs. They cast a glance up and down the long hallway before they turned to follow.

Suddenly a door burst open…and a man practically on his last breath came staggering out into the hall! Kelly nearly shoved him down the stairs…just before the entire apartment exploded in flames.

The force of the blast knocked them forward…and Casey went tumbling over the rail. Severide didn't even have time to think as he reached out and caught his friend before he could take a twenty something foot plunge.

He braced himself against the rail to keep from going over himself. Casey was dangling off Kelly's right arm…and it was all he could do to hang on. Kelly planted his feet firmly and let go with his left hand. He reached down and grabbed the strap of Matt's SCBA tank…and inch by agonizing inch he hauled him back over the railing.

They landed in a heap…Severide on his back and Casey on top of him. But they didn't have time to rest and regroup. Casey rolled off and the two men scrambled down the stairs and out the door.

His right arm hanging by his side, Kelly pulled off his mask and awkwardly shrugged his tank off first his left shoulder…then he reached across his body to get it off his right shoulder as quickly as he could. He slumped against the Squad just trying to pull himself together.

He didn't need this now…

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Shay dropped him off at home…and Kelly came in through the back door.

Lyssa was sitting at the kitchen table…and Kelly was kind of surprised she was by herself. But then he remembered it was only six in the morning. The kids wouldn't be up for another hour at least.

She knew immediately that something was wrong. She stood up from the table and hurried to his side.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"I did somethin' to my shoulder…"

He saw the worry cloud her eyes.

"It's not bad…" he said quickly. "It's just strained, that's all."

Alyssa carefully put her arms around him…and he caught her with his good arm and pulled he close.

He was trying to reassure himself as much as he was her…the timing on this couldn't be any worse.

They were supposed to leave for Florida in the morning…their first family vacation…and there was still a ton of stuff to do to get ready.

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"Do you want to go upstairs and lay down?" Alyssa asked.

"Yeah…"

She disentangled herself from his embrace long enough to get one of the giant cold packs from the freezer. Then she led him up the stairs to their room.

Kelly stretched out on the bed and Lyssa carefully arranged the pillows around his so his arm was supported and the cold pack encased his shoulder. He held out his good arm to her and she climbed into bed beside him.

"What do you want to do, Kelly? Do you want to cancel the trip?"

"We can't, Lyssa…the kids are so excited. They've been bouncing off the walls for the past two weeks…I can't do that to them."

"But are you gonna be okay?"

"I'll have to be." He said.

But that resolve got a little shaky…after Lyssa had helped him with a shower, and then led him back to the bedroom. He could barely move his arm. Every time he did it was enough to make him see stars.

As Alyssa helped him get dressed he couldn't help but flash back to watching her dress Andy the exact same way…after their son broke his arm on the playground. But going back even further…he remembered all the times she had done the very same thing when he was having all the problems with his neck and the impinged nerve caused agonizing pains up and down his right arm.

That was the first time anyone had ever taken care of him…at least as far back as he could remember. And it had been so easy to just fall into that pattern…now he couldn't even imagine having to go through even a little nothing injury without Alyssa being there.

Now she slid his t-shirt over his bad arm…then helped him pull it the rest of the way on.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He nodded. Then he took her hand.

"I don't know what I'd do without you.

She leaned in to kiss him.

"You'll never have to find out."

After he was dressed Alyssa dug something out of the bottom of the dresser drawer. She came back to Kelly with the sling he had used all those years ago…before his surgery. She put it on him and carefully adjusted the strap.

"Better?" she asked.

He nodded again.

He still hated that sling…hated it with a passion.

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The pounding of little feet signaled that Andy and Jesse were up…and they came running into Alyssa and Kelly's room.

They both stopped short when they saw Kelly sitting on the bed.

"Daddy…" Jesse asked. "What happened to you?"

"Did you break your arm?" Andy said.

"No…it's not broken…" Kelly tried to reassure them. "C'mere…it's okay."

He motioned them over…and they came…slowly…hesitantly.

Kelly reached out to ruffle first Andy's hair…then Jesse's.

"Everything's okay, guys." He said. "I just hurt my shoulder a little…"

"How?" Andy asked.

"I had to catch Uncle Matt before he fell down. He would have really gotten hurt."

"But _you_ got hurt…" Jesse said.

"This is nothing…not compared to what could have happened to Uncle Matt."

Andy had a terrible thought.

"Are we still gonna go on the airplane?"

"Absolutely…" Kelly told him. "Nothing's gonna keep that from happening."

Alyssa started herding the twins back to their room.

"C'mon guys…it's time to get ready for school. Today's your last day."

They were done with pre-school…two days ago they had had their "graduation". And the whole firehouse family was there to see it!

And after the "ceremony"…everyone had gone back to the house for a backyard BBQ.

"Why we hafta go back?" Andy asked. "We already graduated."

It didn't make any sense to him. Graduation meant "done".

"You're having a party with your class." Alyssa told him. "You have presents to give all your teachers…and you need to bring home all your art work and your projects…"

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Kelly and Alyssa walked them the three blocks to St. Pasqual's. She had wanted him to stay home and rest…but he had to show Andy and Jesse that he was okay.

Once they'd dropped the boys off the turned back toward home. Kelly put his good arm around Lyssa's shoulders and she wrapped her arm around his waist.

They didn't talk…Alyssa was making a mental list of all the things she still needed to get done…packing mostly.

She was so deep in her thoughts she was startled when Kelly started to speak…

"I just…can't believe this happened…" he said. "Right before our trip."

"Do you need to go get it checked out today?"

One more thing to add to her "to do" list…

"No…we put in an incident report, and flagged it for follow-up. And it's in the after action report too…so it's all documented."

That was a relief. Because she didn't know how they would be able to swing a couple hours down at Occupational Health.

"I know this is gonna make it harder on you, Lys…" he said.

Alyssa gave him a little squeeze.

"It's okay, Baby. We'll just…have to take things at a slower pace. Maybe we won't get to everything…but I'm sure it's not the last time we'll ever go to Disney."

"I just don't the boys to miss out on anything."

"They won't…besides…all that matters is that we're together. That's what I remember most about going on trips when I was a kid. In ten years, it won't matter which rides they went on. It'll be 'I went to Disney World with my family'."

Kelly held her closer.

She always knew what to say to him…

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When they got home she made him breakfast…and pulled out her list…trying to figure out the best way to attack it.

"I'm gonna bring everything down here." She decided. "Then we won't have to figure out who's gonna carry four suitcases down the stairs."

Alyssa had never regained the strength or the mobility in her arm after she was injured…so long ago…almost eight years now. Kelly knew it was still a problem…even though she never talked about it.

She rushed around all day…packing clothes and everything else they'd need for two weeks away. Kelly helped her as best he could…and that mostly consisted of keeping the twins occupied so they didn't get in the way. And that evening…he insisted they go have dinner at their favorite pizza place.

Finally…after they had got the boys settled down and they went to sleep, Alyssa arranged all the pillows so Kelly was as comfortable as he could be, then fell into bed beside him.

She was asleep the minute she closed her eyes…and Kelly lay awake wondering how they were gonna pull this off.

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The big day was finally here!

Andy and Jesse were going on an airplane!

They were so excited they could barely eat their breakfast.

Alyssa helped Kelly to get ready…and carefully adjusted the sling. Then she stood up on her tip-toes to kiss him. She knew he hated this…and she hated to see him hurting.

Casey arrived to drive them out to Midway…and he loaded their suitcases in the back of Alyssa's SUV. He'd leave his truck and come back for it later.

Alyssa squeezed in between the boys who were chattering a mile a minute. What were they going to see? How long till they got on the airplane? How high would they go? When would they get to Florida? What were they gonna do first? When did they get to see Mickey Mouse?

Matt dropped them off at the Southwest terminal…and a porter took pity on them and helped them get their bags to curbside check in. Before he got in the car he knelt down to Andy and Jesse's level and gave his godsons a big hug.

"You guys have a great time! I'll be waiting to hear all about it when you get back!"

"Bye, Uncle Matt!" Andy said as he hugged Casey's neck.

"Bye…" Jesse echoed.

Alyssa gave him a hug.

"Thanks for driving us…"

"No problem…"

He and Kelly said good-bye…then Kelly took Andy's hand…and Alyssa took Jesse's…and they followed their luggage to the check in counter.

"Bye…" Casey called again. "Send me a postcard!"

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While they waited their turn, the boys couldn't stop bouncing…and Andy accidently jostled Kelly's arm.

"Aaahh! Andy! Be careful!" he snapped.

Andy stopped.

"I sorry, Daddy!"

Kelly took a couple deep breaths to pull himself together…and he felt Alyssa's hand rest gently on his back.

Back in control again, he looked down at his son.

"I know you are, Buddy…" he said. "You just gotta dial it down a notch, okay?"

Andy nodded.

"You too, Jess…"

Jesse nodded too.

They stepped up to the counter and Alyssa pulled their tickets from her giant shoulder bag and fished her ID out. Then she took Kelly's from his wallet.

When the clerk handed them back…the Severide's walked through the door to find their gate.

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This place was huge!

Neither Andy nor Jesse knew which way to look first! People were rushing past…there were stores…and McDonalds!

And there was more waiting in lines. They had to walk through a door…only after they put their backpacks and Mommy's big purse in a machine that takes a picture.

Daddy went last…because he was arguing with the man about taking off his shoes and his belt.

Finally…the man just waved a magic wand around Daddy…and let him go.

Kelly was grumbling about the stupidity of the regulations…what was he supposed to do? Have Alyssa undress him in the middle of the airport? Couldn't they see he could only use one arm?

Alyssa just laid her hand on his good arm…and rubbed it gently for a moment…just letting him know she was there…

When he was calm again, he took Andy's hand again…and Alyssa took Jesse's and they went to find gate G7.

They took seats in the back, by the windows. Actually, Kelly and Alyssa sat…Andy and Jesse were watching the luggage trains cruise across the tarmac…and the bags being loaded into the plane.

"You okay?" Alyssa asked quietly.

"Yeah…" he answered.

He looked over at his sons…watching everything that was going on…their blue eyes wide as saucers.

"Hey, guys…" he said. "I need to talk to you."

Andy and Jesse reluctantly turned from the windows and came to stand in front of Kelly and Alyssa.

"I need you guys to be really good on this trip. I can't help Mommy as much as I'd like to…so I need you guys to pay attention. We're gonna be going to a lot of big places…so you can't go running off. You need to stay with Mommy and Daddy. You need to listen…and do what you're told. No fighting…no pushing…can you work with me here?"

Andy and Jesse nodded.

"That's my boys…" he said with a grin. "Okay…talk's over…go on."

Alyssa was holding him by the left arm…and she rested her head on his good shoulder for a minute.

"It's gonna okay, Baby…" she told him.

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The family settled on the plane…Kelly sat between Andy and Jesse while Alyssa had to sit across the aisle. He wished his wife could sit beside him. His arm was aching from being in one position and he wanted Alyssa to fix it…but that would mean one of the twins sitting by himself.

Oh well…it was only a ninety minute flight.

Alyssa had packed the boys backpacks with all new coloring books, markers, reusable sticker books, stories…all things they'd never seen before…all new things to hold their attention.

As they got ready to take off Mommy gave them gum to chew…and then the engines made a lot of noise…and they started to move! Slowly at first…like the car rolling along.

"What's happening, Daddy?" Jesse asked.

"We're taxi-ing…" Kelly explained. "The pilot's getting the plane into position to take off."

"How does he do that?" Andy wanted to know.

Whenever they rode in the car with Uncle Matt that's what he always said after he buckled them in… 'Everybody ready for takeoff?'

"The pilot drives the plane…like a car or a bus…then we get to the runway…that's like a big long stretch of road so he can drive really fast…then we'll lift off the ground into the air. You'll see…it'll be any minute now."

He looked from one boy to the other…he'd never seen them so excited before. They were practically vibrating with anticipation.

"How high will we go?" Jesse wanted to know.

"We're gonna go above the clouds." Kelly answered. "You'll see out the window…everything's gonna get littler and littler…and then we'll fly through the clouds till we get above them."

"When will we get there?" Andy asked. "How long will we fly?"

"For about as long as it takes to watch a movie…"

The engines got even louder…and suddenly they started to move really fast! Faster and faster…and then they started to go up in the air!

Andy and Jesse were flying! They were on their way to Florida…which was really far from Chicago…and they were going on vacation!


	36. Chapter 36

**May 2020-The Land of Fun and Sun**

When they touched down in Orlando the boys excitement heightened to a near fever-pitch…if that was even possible. And the waiting was almost too much to bear…for everyone.

First they had to wait till everyone got off the plane…Kelly couldn't risk the crowded aisle, with everyone twisting and turning to get luggage out of the overhead compartments…bumping into one another. When the aisle was finally clear he took Andy by the hand and Alyssa grabbed hold of Jesse.

They stepped off the plane and went through the tunnel…into a place that looked an awful like the one they had just left.

Where was Mickey? And Donald? And Goofy?

Andy was confused…and he said so.

"No, Andy…" Alyssa said. "The plane has to fly into an airport. It doesn't drop you right off at Disney World."

Kelly was biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. His sons said the cutest things sometimes.

"So when can we go to Disney World?" Jesse asked.

"First we need to get our luggage." Kelly told him. "Then we're gonna go pick up the car we're gonna use down here."

"And then we'll go to our hotel. That's where we're gonna sleep." Alyssa added.

That sounded like a lot of stuff to do before they could see Mickey Mouse…

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After they stood around the suitcase merry-go-round…the grown-ups called it a luggage carousel…they had to stand in _another_ long line…to get a new car.

And the twins were getting impatient.

Andy and Jesse were reaching around Kelly, trying to pinch each other, diving out of the way, laughing…

"Hey! Take it easy, guys!" he warned when they almost bumped his arm for the fifth time. "What'd I tell you about takin' it down a notch?"

Finally…they got their rental car…and Alyssa got in the driver's seat…programmed the GPS…and they were off to the Caribbean Beach Resort.

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Once they had checked in a bellman helped them with their bags.

He opened the door for them and Andy and Jesse just stood there and stared.

"C'mon guys…" Kelly said, nudging them from behind. "Go on in…"

The boys still weren't sure as they stepped inside.

There were two big beds…like Mommy and Daddy's bed at home…a dresser, a table and a couple chairs.

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Kelly tipped the bellman…and he hauled the first suitcase onto the bed so Alyssa could start unpacking. Then he took off the sling and stretched out on the bed closest to the door.

Alyssa came to his side immediately and rearranged the pillows so his arm was supported.

"Do you want ice for it?" she asked. "The machine's like…two doors down."

He nodded and she went to grab the ice bucket.

Kelly patted the spot beside him on the bed…and Andy and Jesse climbed up.

"What's this place, Daddy?" Jesse asked.

"This is our hotel." Kelly answered. "This is where we're gonna sleep and keep our stuff while we're here."

"Are we all gonna sleep in one room?" Andy asked.

He was used to sharing with his brother…but not Mommy and Daddy. And he never had to share a bed.

"Yeah…we're not gonna be in here much…trust me, when we get back after a whole day at Disney World…you're gonna be so tired you won't care."

Alyssa came back with the ice bucket, transferred it to a plastic bag…and wrapped it in a towel. She brought it to Kelly and carefully put it on his shoulder.

He caught his breath…it was really sore.

"What we gonna do now?" Andy asked.

Alyssa and Kelly looked at one another.

"We're gonna let Daddy rest for little while…and I'm gonna put our things away. Then maybe we'll go down to the beach." She said.

"There's a beach here?" Jesse asked. "Like North Avenue Beach?"

"A whole lot smaller…" Kelly said.

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They stayed on the bed for a while…all four of them. Alyssa gently rubbed her hand up and down Kelly's left arm while the ice numbed the aching pain in his right. Once he was all right he had Andy bring his backpack over…and he read the boys a couple stories from their new books while Alyssa unpacked their clothes and got their swim suits out.

After they changed they headed to the food court for a late lunch…

Andy had a cheeseburger in a sand pail…Jesse got chicken nuggets in his.

Now they had some toys to play in the sand with.

Then they went down to the little stretch of sand along the Barefoot Bay. The boys headed right for the water's edge.

"Just up to your ankles, okay…" Kelly told them. "This isn't a lake for swimming."

Alyssa had dragged a double chaise down to the edge of the bay…and she and Kelly settled down about five feet from Andy and Jesse, already happily at work on a sand castle.

He held out his good arm and Alyssa snuggled in beside him. She turned up her face…and he gave her a little kiss.

"Are you okay, Baby?" she asked him quietly.

"Better…" he told her. "It's a little better."

She held him for a while…just enjoying the security and the warmth of his strong arm around her…listening to their sons chatter back and forth as they played…and marveling at the fact that they were really _here_, away from Chicago, on their first vacation as a family.

They hadn't planned on waiting so long to do this…they'd had invitations to join Tony and Sherrie in Door County, or Nicky and Kathy at the Indiana Dunes. But when they were having their troubles, going away just seemed like an impossibility. So Alyssa had always made the excuse that Kelly was working.

She had never told her family all that had gone on…it didn't seem right. She knew they'd all take sides…most likely hers…and Kelly was so close to Nicky and Joey, and now Jimmy. They truly regarded him as a brother. She couldn't ruin that for him. Especially after she learned why he never told Renee's family the real reason for their break-up. Kelly had had one family disappear after another. First Benny…then his grandparents…Grandma and Grandpa Kelly. He never even mentioned Benny's side of the family. Alyssa wondered if he even knew them.

His mom had passed just before he had entered the Academy, and Kelly had pulled himself away from his Aunt Kathy (Auntie K as the twins called her.) and his cousins.

The Whaley's had become a surrogate family for him…and then they were gone too. It was hard for him to take their hatred, but he knew that's the way things had to be.

He'd talked about all that in counseling…over a course of several months…and to hear the pain in his voice…to see the look on his face…had only strengthened Alyssa's resolve that she wouldn't do that to him again. She knew she loved him…and that he loved her…and that eventually they'd be okay. But it was hard.

The sound of her boys laughing brought her back to the present.

They were going to have such a good time tomorrow at the Magic Kingdom!


	37. Chapter 37

**May 2020-The Happiest Place on Earth…**

Kelly and Alyssa lay awake in their bed. It was about seven-thirty…and the twins should be waking up at any minute.

Today they were going to the Magic Kingdom.

As she lay in her husband's arms, Lyssa gently massaged his injured shoulder…she worried about him. She knew he'd probably overdo things in an effort to make sure Andy and Jesse got to do everything they wanted…go on every ride…it didn't matter if he got bounced and knocked around. Kelly would never disappoint his boys.

He was the most amazing dad in the world…and for a moment she let herself entertain the fantasy of having another baby…maybe a little girl. Just the thought of Kelly with a daughter made her smile.

"What?" he asked her.

"Nothing…" she said. "I'm just thinking about Andy and Jesse's faces when they see Disney World."

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Andy sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He looked around the strange room…with the bright green carpeting and the brightly colored bedspreads. His brother was sleeping beside him, his teddy tucked under his arm. And Mommy and Daddy were whispering to each other in the next bed.

"Look who decided to wake up…" Kelly said. "Hey, Buddy…ready to go see Mickey?"

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An hour later they family was down in the food court having breakfast.

Andy and Jesse both had waffles shaped like Mickey's head…and they bounced impatiently while Alyssa cut them up and made sure they weren't drowning in syrup.

Meanwhile, Kelly was chasing scrambled eggs and hash browns around his plate while he waited for Lyssa to do the same with his French toast. He wasn't the most coordinated when it came to doing everything left handed.

"Daddy? What we gonna do today?" Jesse asked.

"We're going to the Magic Kingdom…it's kind of like Great America…but bigger."

Andy's eyes went wide.

"Bigger than Great America?" he asked with a mouthful of waffle.

"Hey…"Alyssa said. "Don't talk with your mouth full…not good manners."

"Yeah! That's gross!" Jesse added.

"Hey…you're not the parent, Jess." Kelly told him. "Mom and I can handle it."

Then he turned back to Andy.

"Yeah…there's tons of rides…there's a parade…and fireworks every night."

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They stood waiting for the Monorail that would take them to the Magic Kingdom.

"It's just like the "El"…" Jesse said happily.

"It's gonna go a lot faster." Kelly told him.

The car stopped in front of them and the door opened.

"Hold hands, guys." Alyssa said. "There's lots of people."

She took Jesse's hand and Kelly took Andy's…and the family stepped onto the train.

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When they got off at the front gate Kelly couldn't help but smile at the looks on the boys' faces…and Alyssa couldn't help smiling at the look on his face. Even though Kelly was playing it cool for the twins, Lyssa knew he was just as excited as they were. He'd never been to Disney World either. Everything he was telling them had come out of the guidebook she bought last year and the DVD she sent away for when they first started talking about this trip.

As they waited in line she gently rubbed his back…and Kelly turned to her, smiled, and leaned down to give her a quick kiss.

Andy and Jesse both stopped in their tracks as they approached Main Street. All up and down the street were stores and places to eat…and a big castle right ahead. There was a horsie pulling something that looked like a little bus…and a train running along a track. Neither one could figure out where to look first. This has to be the coolest place they had ever been to!

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After a quick consult with the map the Severide's turned left and headed for Adventureland.

"What we gonna do first?" Andy asked as he bounced along beside Kelly.

"First…you're gonna walk like a normal person." Kelly said as they approached the Fast Pass machine.

He knew both boys were excited, but if Andy kept jumping up and down all day long…his "good" arm would be shot by noon.

Andy looked chastened and the little bottom lip poked out in a pout. Kelly looked down at his son and stopped. He led Andy off to the side so they weren't in the middle of everything. He knelt down so he was looking the little boy in the eye.

"Hey, Buddy…I know you're real excited and you can't wait to do everything…but I really need you to settle down. My arm's still really sore…so I can't have you bouncing all over the place, okay?"

Andy nodded.

"C'mere…" Kelly said as he reached out to give his boy a big hug. "I love you, Buddy…and we're gonna have a great time…"

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As they waited in line for the Pirates of the Caribbean Kelly and Alyssa kept the boys in front of them…and Kelly put his arm around his wife. He smiled as he felt her slide her arms around him and give him a little hug.

"Why do they look the same?" a little girl ahead of them in line asked as she pointed to Andy and Jesse.

"Ashlynn, don't be rude!" the woman next to her said as she hurried to push the little girl's arm down.

The woman blushed all the way up to the roots of her hair and she looked sheepishly at Kelly and Alyssa…

"I'm so sorry…" she said.

"It's okay." Alyssa replied. Then she smiled at the little girl…Ashlynn. "They're twins…that's why they look alike.

The little girl continued to stare at Andy and Jesse and a little boy, who Kelly assumed to be her brother, stared too. He was staring at Jesse's t-shirt.

"What does their shirts say?" he asked.

Andy and Jesse looked up at Kelly.

They weren't supposed to talk to strangers.

"It's okay guys." He said. "You can tell them."

Andy spoke up…

"Mine says 'when I grow up I want to be a firefighter just like dad'."

Then he pointed to Jesse.

"And his says 'my dad's truck is bigger than your dad's truck'."

At least half the t-shirts Andy and Jesse owned had some reference to firefighters…or fire trucks.

The little boy looked from one to the other.

"My daddy's a firefighter…" he said.

Then he looked up at the tall man standing beside him.

Kelly followed the little boy's gaze.

"Is that right?" he asked

"Yeah…" the man answered.

Then he introduced himself.

"Trey Wendell…"

"My name's Kelly…Severide. Where're you from?"

"Idaho…" Wendell said. "Smokejumpers…region four."

"Seriously?" Kelly said. "I'm impressed…"

This man parachuted out of airplanes right into the heart of a forest fire…

It sounded like the ultimate adrenaline rush.

"Don't get any brilliant ideas, Severide." Alyssa said under her breath.

"That's what I trained for in the Air Force." Wendell told them. "What about you?"

"I'm in charge of a Rescue Squad…for the Chicago Fire Department."

Then he realized he hadn't introduced his family.

"This is my wife Alyssa…and our sons, Andy and Jesse."

Wendell introduced his wife Stephanie and his three kids. Ashlynn was around the boys' age…almost six. The little boy, Randy, was four…and the baby, Chelsea, was sixteen months.

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The two men continued to chat as they moved toward the front of the line.

Then Jesse reached up to tug on Kelly's shirt.

"Daddy?" he asked. "What's this ride?"

"The Pirates of the Caribbean…"

"Like with Jack Sparrow?" Andy asked.

He loved that movie!

"Yeah…you'll see Jack Sparrow in there."

The boys turned to one another with huge smiles.

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The two families moved through the rope maze to board the boat that would carry them through the "Caribbean"…

The ride began with fireflies dancing through the night and the sound of bullfrogs croaking…they past some old boats…and there was some soft music…but then they heard it…the thundering of a waterfall. And a spooky voice echoed…

"Dead men tell no tales!"

Then suddenly…they were plunging down into the depths of an underground grotto!

The boys saw skeletons everywhere they looked…and then a big, scary looking pirate appeared in a waterfall! And they were headed straight toward it!

Suddenly there were cannonballs whistling overhead and huge explosions sent water flying up into the air! And there was Captain Barbosa…standing on the deck of his pirate ship…

Next their boat sailed into the middle of a town filled with pirates! The pirates were running around…there were little fires all over…and…

"Look Daddy!" Jesse cried. "I see Jack Sparrow!"

Next their boat floated past a jail…and the pirates were trying to escape! There was a little doggy with a key in his mouth…and the pirates were trying to get him to come.

And finally…they saw Jack Sparrow again…in a big room filled with treasure!

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"That was so cool!" Andy exclaimed as they got off the ride.

"It was just like the movie!" Jesse added.

"It was just like we was _in_ the movie!" Andy went on.

"What we gonna do next?" Jesse asked.

"How about we go see some animals?" Alyssa asked.

"Let's go on that!" Andy suggested.

He was pointing to the Magic Carpet ride.

Big surprise…Andy wanted to go straight to the top and stay there for the whole ride.

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The Severides and the Wendells crossed over into Forntierland…and got into line for Splash Mountain.

As they neared the front…Kelly took his sling off and handed it to Alyssa. She gave him a worried look as she folded it and put it into her shoulder bag.

"Are you sure, Honey?" she asked.

"It'll be fine." He replied.

They climbed into their 'log'…Alyssa in the back with Jesse in front of her…then Kelly and Andy up front.

"Are we gonna get wet Daddy?" Andy asked.

"I hope so…" Kelly told him.

They got soaked! They plummeted down a five story waterfall and a huge wave crashed right over them!

Kelly wrung his shirt out as they headed over to the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

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But after getting bounced around the roller coaster and jerked around the Haunted Mansion his shoulder was killing him.

"Okay…you win…" he grumbled under his breath as the family got out of their car at the end of the Haunted Mansion…

Alyssa was immediately by his side and she put her arms around him as she led him over to a bench near the ride's exit ramp. She dug into her bag and fished out the sling. She helped Kelly put it back on and carefully adjusted the strap.

"Better?" she asked.

"A little…" he answered.

She left him to rest for a minute while she and Stephanie Wendell took the kids to the restrooms.

"What'd you do?" Trey asked as he flopped down onto the bench beside Kelly.

Kelly shrugged his left shoulder…

"I had to pull a buddy out of a tight spot. I just strained it a little. The timing just really sucks though…"

Wendell nodded understandingly.

"I hear ya…" he said. "I had rotator cuff surgery about two years ago. Not fun…"

"Ain't that the truth…"

Twenty years as a firefighter could really take a toll on your body. More and more he found himself reaching out to Alyssa…having her close to him helped to quell the fears and anxiety he felt whenever he was reminded that he wasn't invincible. Just feeling her slide her arms around him let him breathe a little easier.

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When the girls came back with the kids Andy asked…

"What we gonna see next?"

Alyssa looked over at Kelly. She was worried about him…he looked so uncomfortable.

"How about we take it easy for a little while?" she suggested.

That didn't sound like any fun to Andy.

"What'll we do?" the little boy asked skeptically.

"You'll see…" Alyssa said with a smile.

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So the families crossed back into Adventureland…to take a Jungle Cruise!

His wife was right…as usual…Kelly thought as he draped his good arm over her shoulders. It was nice to just relax as they floated along the river…first the Amazon… where they saw huge butterflies with wingspans that were twelve inches long, according to their skipper. Then they floated past Inspiration Falls, and turned into the Congo in Africa.

"Now we'll be coming up to camp…" the skipper said. "There's a Pygmy welcoming party waiting for us."

But when the boat arrived at the beach, the canoes were empty, and the place deserted.

"Now that's strange…" the skipper said. "I wonder what scared off those Pygmies?"

"Daddy!" Andy shouted. "It's a giant snake!"

Everyone on the boat began to chuckle…

"Actually, that's a giant python." The skipper told them.

Then boat sailed past a camp that had been raided by gorillas…

"That looks like in Tarzan!" Jesse said.

And then they floated around the bend onto the Nile River.

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The first thing they saw was two elephants and then they past a pride of lions getting ready to eat their dinner.

"Hey look! Aren't those people from the boat in front of us?" The skipper said.

The boat sailed past a lost safari group that was being chased up a pole by an angry rhinoceros.

"Now we're passing Schweitzer Falls…" their skipper told them " and…wait a minute…hang on folks! There's some hungry hippos!"

The hippos looked like they were about to charge the boat! But luckily the skipper scared them off.

"Whew…that was a close one." The skipper said with relief. "But…oh no! Do you hear those drums? That means we're entering headhunter territory!"

The headhunters were dancing near the boat… and the next thing they knew they were in the middle of an ambush!

But they managed to escape and sailed into the Mekong River.

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They entered a temple which has been destroyed by an earthquake. There were baboons with red butts, giant King Cobras, and a scary tiger!

And then they came to an elephant bathing pool where lots of elephants are relaxing in the water. They almost got sprayed by water from one of the elephants!

"Now here's Trader Sam, the head salesman of the jungle.." the skipper told them. "You need to be careful around him…he's a slippery fellow. Just last week I saw him offer two shrunken heads in exchange for one of the passengers!"

The boat docked and everyone climbed out.

"What'd you think, guys?" Alyssa asked.

"That was fun!" Jesse said with a huge smile.

"It was okay…" Andy reluctantly agreed.

"Well…thank you very much Andy…" Alyssa chuckled. "Glad to know I picked a good one…"

They herded the boys in front of them and they headed down the ramp.

"What about you, Honey?" she asked Kelly softly. "What did you think?"

Kelly smiled at her.

"I thought it was perfect…" he said.


	38. Chapter 38

**June 2020-There's No Place Like Home**

Kelly looked out over the water and took a deep breath of salty air. After a week of running around theme parks, waiting in long lines, fighting crowds, and trying to control two over-excited little boys, the Gulf breeze was a welcome relief.

It was their first family vacation…and the first time Andy and Jesse had ever been out of the Chicago area. And if that wasn't enough excitement…the day before they left, Kelly had injured his shoulder at work.

They were clearing out of a cheap motel when one of the rooms nearest the stairs flashed over. The force of the blast had sent Casey tumbling over the railing and Kelly barely managed to grab hold of him before he took a twenty foot plunge. For a few agonizing minutes Matt had been dangling in full gear off Kelly's right arm while Severide struggled to haul him back onto solid ground.

Alyssa asked if he wanted to cancel the trip, but there was no way in hell he was going to disappoint his sons. This was all they had been talking about for the past month. If he had to eat the pain…then that's what he'd do.

But it was harder than he thought it would be. The twins were so excited…they were literally bouncing off the walls. And their enthusiasm was contagious. They had ridden every ride…Space Mountain…Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom…not to mention the two days they had spent at Universal Studios.

Both boys, but especially Andy…Kelly's 'mini-me' in every sense of the word…loved the thrill rides as much as he did. So all week long he got bounced and slammed around from morning to night. He tried not to let on to the boys…but at night, after he was sure they were asleep he and Alyssa would get into the shower…and he'd have to grit his teeth to keep from crying out in pain as his wife gently stretched and rotated his shoulder while the hot water pummeled his aching muscles. Then she'd help him into bed and wrap her arms around him. She'd whisper that she loved him…and that everything was gonna be all right. And Kelly would tangle his fingers in her long, brown curls…pull her as close as he could…and eat up every single word.

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After their week in Orlando, the Severides loaded their rental car and drove over to Clearwater…along the Gulf Coast. They were gonna spend a week visiting Eric Whaley.

Kelly and Eric had a long complicated history. They met at the Academy and became fast friends. They were so much alike…both fearless and over-confident (okay, cocky.)…they challenged one another at every twist and turn, constantly pushing the envelope farther and farther.

Eric had introduced Kelly to his kid sister…but their friendship had gone down in flames after Severide called off his engagement. Renee had confessed to cheating on him…with a guy he knew…a week before the wedding. She begged him to reconsider, but his pride wouldn't let him. So she'd gone off and gotten drunk and wrapped her car around a telephone pole. Eric blamed Kelly for the accident…and Kelly just kept his mouth shut. He knew Renee would need her family around her…and as hard as it was to bear their hatred, that was the way it had to be.

Then about six years ago Eric had filled in for Severide when he had surgery on his neck. He spent three or four months at Station 51. When Kelly first got back the tension was so thick between the two lieutenants you couldn't cut it with a K-12.

But eventually the whole story got out and they were able to clear the air. Kelly and Eric started hanging out again and everything was cool.

Until a year and a half ago. Eric was injured on the job…a horrible back injury. Ruptured discs, cord compression…he had to have major surgery to relieve the pressure. And he had to go on long term disability.

He moved to Florida with his girlfriend Lily and her two boys, Scott and Jeff…and about eight months ago Kelly got an email from him.

Lily's ex had gotten tired of paying child support and offered to let Eric adopt the boys. So he and Lily had run down to City Hall the next day and gotten married.

Now they lived near Clearwater, just a couple miles from Lily's folks. Eric had bought a boat and opened his own charter fishing business. Things were going well…they weren't setting the world on fire…but they were happy.

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The Severides pulled in the drive and the Whaleys came out to greet their guests.

Kelly, Lyssa and the boys were staying in a little one bedroom/one bathroom apartment over the garage. As they got out of the car, Andy and Jesse eyed two boys about their age. Scott was six…and Jeff was five.

While they boys began to run and play in the front yard, Kelly unloaded the bags and lugged them up the steps one at a time. Lily was showing Alyssa the tiny apartment…and Alyssa couldn't wait to make use of the washer and dryer.

Kelly glanced around the place…a living room with a kitchenette in the corner…and the bedroom and bath off the side.

He couldn't wait to close the door to the bedroom and finally have a little private time with his wife.

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Days were spent on the boat…and Kelly got to introduce his sons to fishing…real fishing. They'd dropped lines off Navy Pier…but that wasn't the same.

Alyssa came up behind him as he was about to bait his hook…

"Just so we're clear, Severide…you catch it…you clean it."

He grinned at her.

"I never pegged you for the squeamish type…" he teased.

"Hey, there's a reason I drive all the way out to Glenview to buy fish."

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"Daddy? What kinda fish we gonna catch?" Jesse asked.

"I don't know…maybe Snapper…maybe Grouper…maybe Mackerel. We have to see."

"Redfish are bitin' like crazy right now…" Eric said.

Andy was concerned about one thing.

"Do we hafta eat the fish?"

The little boy might be a bottomless pit when it came to food…but there were some things not even he would touch…fish being one of them. Popcorn shrimp was as close as he got.

"We'll get you somethin'…don't worry." Eric told him. "Scott and Jeff don't like fish either."

Andy smiled and clapped his hands happily…and Kelly couldn't help but chuckle.

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That night the two men sat on the screened in porch at Eric's house, relaxing, and enjoying a couple beers.

The boys were inside playing Mine Craft…and the girls were cooking up the catch of the day.

Kelly was still marveling over the fishing…

"I'll tell ya…" he said. "I never had a haul like that before…"

He couldn't believe the amount of fish they'd come back with…Snapper, Grouper…even a young shark!

If he lived to be a hundred he'd never forget the looks on Andy and Jesse's faces when they landed that!

"It's like that every single day down here…" Eric said. "Just like pickin' it outta the ocean. It never gets old."

"Well, you could eat for a month on what we caught today."

Eric changed the subject.

"How's the arm doin'?"

Kelly grunted non-commitally as he gingerly rotated his shoulder.

"I'll prob'ly still be out a couple shifts after we get back." He said.

"Want me to go back and fill in for you?" Eric asked with a sardonic grin.

"Yeah, right…that'll work…"

They both knew Eric would never be a firefighter again.

"We're quite a pair." Eric said ruefully.

"Yeah…"

"What would you think about maybe movin' down here?" Eric asked. "You've got your twenty in…"

"And do what?"

"We could go into business together. We could get another boat…you can handle the maintenance stuff…I'll take care of the business end."

Kelly's eyes went wide. He wasn't expecting Eric to make that kind of offer. But he had to admit it was tempting. He'd had two pretty serious injuries…his neck…and then his knee three years ago. And now he was dealing with this shoulder thing.

"I'll have to talk it over with Lyssa." He said.

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As if on cue the girls came out with platters of food…the snapper they had caught…pan seared, then covered in plum tomatoes, onions, garlic, olives, and fresh oregano and basil…Alyssa's fettuccini Alfredo…thick, crusty Italian bread and tossed green salad with Lyssa's homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette.

The guys dug in. Kelly knew his wife was responsible for the feast in front of them.

Eric moaned with pleasure…bordering on ecstasy. He'd never tasted anything so good in all his life. And Kelly couldn't help but smile with pride.

"I'm sorry, but we can't let you guys go back to Chicago…" Lily said after one bite. "Not till you teach me to cook like this."

"Maybe we should scrap the fishing business and just open a restaurant." Eric suggested.

"I been tellin' my wife that for years." Kelly said.

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That night, after he tucked Andy and Jesse into the hide-a-bed in the living room, Kelly closed the bedroom door then stepped into the adjoining bathroom. He quickly shed his clothes and moved the shower curtain aside.

"Damn you, Kelly!" Alyssa said…clearly startled by the intrusion.

"I'm sorry, Baby…" he said contritely as he ran his hands across her shoulders and up and down her arms.

Then he took the wash cloth from her hands and reached for the bottle of her favorite lemon scented body wash. He slowly soaped her back, making small, deliberate circles with the cloth…just the way she did when she washed his back.

Alyssa sighed contentedly as she relaxed under the water and her husband's very capable hands.

"That feels so nice…" she whispered.

Kelly smiled to himself.

He knew something else that would feel nice too.

"Well, you worked hard today, Babe…" he told her. "That was the best meal I've had since we got here…"

She turned to him and carefully slipped her arms up around his neck. He pulled her close…ignoring the twinge of pain in his shoulder. There was another ache that desperately needed attending to at the moment.

He leaned down to capture her lips in a deep, passionate, all-consuming kiss.

"Whaddaya say we take this in the other room…" he said in a husky voice when they finally came up for air.

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The next day they went out on the boat again, but this time to a quiet little cove Eric had found.

They tied off at a little dock and spent the day swimming in the crystal blue water and sunning themselves on the snow white beach. It was the most beautiful…peaceful place Kelly had ever been.

It was late afternoon by the time they headed back in. They were going to see fireworks that night at the marina, and Alyssa and Lily were settling the boys down in the cabin for a nap.

Kelly stood at the rail looking out over the water.

Three more days…then they had to go back.

He felt hands, soft and cool against his skin and looked down to see his wife beside him.

"How's your shoulder?" she asked.

"I prob'ly should've just let the shark go…" he told her.

Even though it had been a little one…about three or four feet long…that shark had put up one hell of a fight.

Alyssa moved closer to him and gently cradled his injured arm as she led him over to a cushioned bench along the starboard side. She sat down and gently pulled Kelly to sit beside her. He melted into her arms as she began to rub his aching shoulder.

It all felt very familiar…and he told her so. His mind went back to that little apartment on Ashland where she lived when they first met…before everything had happened. He thought of all the hours and hours she had spent caring for him after he admitted to her about his neck injury…before he'd eventually had the surgery.

"I guess everything comes full circle…" she said.

He just settled deeper into her arms…

"Do you think we could be happy here?" he asked.

"For how long? A week? A month?"

"Forever." He said. "Eric offered me a chance to go into business with him. You and Lily get along great…the kids get along great. We could get a house…"

"Is that something you want?" Alyssa asked.

"Maybe…" Kelly answered. "I mean…I've got twenty years in with the department…I've had all these injuries…my body's not gonna hold out forever."

"You don't think your shoulder's gonna heal up?"

"Oh, I know it will…but I just don't want something worse to happen…like what happened to Eric."

"Kelly, you can't control that…" she said softly. "Here's what I think…I think we should go home…and see what happens with your arm…then make a decision."

"But what if I tore something…what if I need surgery?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it…Honey, you love your job…I know you. If there's a chance you can stay on Squad…if you quit before you absolutely have to you'll never be happy. Not totally."

He knew she was right.

"There's something else I want." He said. "Something I'm sure of…"

"What's that?"

"I want us to have another baby." He told her.

"Really?"

Alyssa was pleasantly surprised.

"Yeah…I been thinkin' about it for a while."

"I think we can definitely talk about that…" she said with a smile.

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But eventually all good things come to an end.

The Severides had to go back to Chicago.

For their last night in Florida, Lily's parents agreed to babysit all four boys so the parents could have one night out…just to themselves.

Eric and Lily treated Kelly and Lyssa to dinner at a Japanese Steakhouse…and then they drove over to Pier 60 and walked up and down the promenade.

Alyssa and Lily went to check out a jewelry booth…and Eric asked Kelly a question.

"Did you…think about my offer?"

Kelly stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Yeah…I did." He said. "And it's tempting…"

Eric could hear the "but" coming…

"But I'm not ready to hang it up yet. I think I still got a few more years in me."


	39. Chapter 39

**July 2020-Epilogue**

Kelly and Alyssa left the Occupational Health clinic…and Kelly clutched the paperwork that said he was cleared to return to duty.

He slipped his arm around his wife's shoulders…

"You wanna walk for a while?" he asked.

"Sure…"

They headed for the lake…to the spot where Kelly had asked Alyssa to be his wife.

"Vacation's really over now." He said wistfully.

"Yeah…" she said. "Back to the real world."

The summer was going by so fast…in just another six weeks the twins would be starting school.

Kindergarten…where had the time gone?

"I meant what I said you know…down in Florida…about having another baby." He told her.

"I know." She answered. "I know."

He wrapped his arms around her tiny body…and she sighed contentedly.

She loved it when he held her. She always felt so safe…so protected…like nothing bad could touch her.

"I'm glad we came home." He said.

Alyssa was right. If he gave up Squad before he absolutely _had_ to…he'd never be happy. Only the best of the best made it…and that's who he was…that's what he was born to do.


End file.
